With a history of digestive issues, it took me a long time to figure out how to make a decent “low gut-reactive” granola. Over time and with many modifications, this one became my favourite. It’s chock-full of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, is school-safe, and is great to eat on its own as a snack, or as a topper on smoothie bows or yogurt. Best of all, it takes only 30 minutes to make!
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are important for fertility. They contain 9g of protein in just a ¼ cup (by context, a single batch of this granola contains ¾ cups of pumpkin seeds… 18g of protein). Sunflower seeds are a great source of polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as vitamin E, magnesium, folate, iron and zinc.
What you need:
1/3 cup real maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp unsweetened sunflower seed butter
¾ cup raw sunflower seeds*
¾ cup pumpkin seeds (I use the roasted, salted ones from Costco, but any kind will do)*
½ tsp table salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
*If you have an allergy to seeds, you can exclude them
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, add the maple syrup and heat on medium-high heat until it just starts to simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add coconut oil and sunflower seed butter. Mix gently until melted and well mixed.
- Meanwhile, in a high-speed blender or food processor, add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Blend/pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Mix the “sandy” seed blend into your melted ingredients in the sauce pot. Stir to mix.
- Add in the shredded coconut and stir to mix again.
- Pour granola onto your baking sheet and spread out as much as possible. Bake for 8 minutes. Stir, spread out again, and bake for another 4-5 minutes until toasted but not brown.
- Let cool and break apart. Can store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To learn more about how you can support your fertility, or to book an appointment with Dr. Sarah Zadek, email us at info@conceivehealth.com or call (416) 364-2236.
By Dr. Sarah Zadek, Naturopathic Doctor at Conceive Health – Lakeridge in Whitby, Ontario.
