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Coconut Maple Walnut Granola - delicious, healthy, and wholesome

Coconut Maple Walnut Granola

written by Parita 4 Comments

Lucky Charms.  Cocoa Pebbles.  Count Chocula.  Kix.  Rice Krispies.  Chex.  Banana Nut Crunch.  Honey Bunches of Oats.  Frosted Mini Wheats.

These, my friends, were my favorite cereals growing up…and some well into my 20s.

In fact, my college roommate and best friend Roshni and I would buy a gallon of milk and multiple boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats every week.  We would then sit in our dining room after class and go to town.  It was quite the sight!

That habit continued well into post-college life.  When I was too lazy to make dinner, cereal was my go to meal.  I’m pretty sure I could still do quite a bit of damage with a box of Banana Nut Crunch.

Looking back, I may have been a tad bit obsessed.

There’s nothing like marriage to help change your habits.  While Vishnu loves his Cinnamon Toast Crunch, I honestly can’t imagine him eating a bowl of cereal for dinner.  I don’t even remember the last time I bought a box of cereal.

What you can find us munching on throughout the day is homemade granola.  Yes, we traded in cereal for granola!

Maple-Walnut-Coconut Granola

Granola is cereal’s sophisticated older sibling.  It’s an essential ingredient in parfaits.  It’s delicious sprinkled on top of smoothies.  And a bowl full of it plus a little almond milk still hits the spot!

My homemade granola is easy to make and tastes insanely delicious.  The toasted oats, walnuts and coconut shreds add a nice crunch while the maple syrup brings the perfect amount of sweetness.  The coconut oil, cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract bring a punch of their own.  It’s the perfect combination of ingredients.  PERFECT!

I could eat this stuff all the live long day.  In fact, at about 4:00 pm every day, I find myself zeroing in on the container of granola that sits in plain view in the far corner of our kitchen.  I can’t pass it up!  Especially mixed together with plain yogurt and a spoonful of peanut butter.  Just trust me on this!

If you’re looking for a healthy, wholesome snack to keep around the house, this coconut maple walnut granola is for you!

Coconut Maple Walnut Granola

Coconut Maple Walnut Granola

3 cups rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine the oats, salt, walnuts, shredded coconut, and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the vanilla extract, coconut oil, and maple syrup.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.  Evenly spread the granola mixture on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 22 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point.

What was your favorite cereal growing up?  And now?

Written on November 18, 2015 Related:Food, Recipe

When Two Ways of Eating Collide

written by Parita 17 Comments

*I’m going to preface this post with a little disclaimer.  I think of myself as a strong, independent woman and always will.  However, I also have a very nurturing side.  I love to take care of people, namely Vishnu.  And one of the ways I take care of him is by cooking healthy and (hopefully) tasty meals.  After reading this post, you may be inclined to think that after June my life will revolve around cooking for my husband, but that is not true at all.  In fact, he is more than capable of doing this himself, but I genuinely love to cook, and he doesn’t. I love planning healthy meals, while he’d rather just eat the healthy meal. And this works for us.

A topic that has been frequently making its way into recent conversation is how marriage is going to change mine and Vishnu’s eating habits.  The short answer is that marriage is not going to change anything.  I’ll still be a vegetarian, and he’ll continue to eat white meat and fish.  I’ll still be somewhat of a health nut, and he’ll take on some of my healthy habits while still eating the things he wants.

I think one of the reasons why people ask me about this is because I have been an on again off again vegetarian for years.  However, back in August 2010, I made the decision to give up meat…forever.  Trust be told, it grosses me out – more then ever.  And thinking about it makes me sad.

When we first got engaged, Vishnu stubbornly stated that no meat would be cooked at home.  He wanted to respect my way of eating.  Instead, he would resort to eating non-veg things when dining out.  Over time, as we talked more about this, I convinced him that having meat in the house won’t bother me.  I don’t want him to change his way because of me.  I even offered to cook him meat dishes, as long as he prepped everything beforehand.  For example, if I was making an Indian vegetable curry, we could very easily add chicken to his portion.  No big deal!  I honestly have no intention of converting Vishnu into a vegetarian, and I know with 100% certainty that it will never happen. 

meat-vs-vegetables

Story of our lives!

I think another reason the question comes up often is because of my focus on eating clean and healthy.  People who know me understand that about me, and again, while I don’t want to lure Vishnu over to my sometimes crazy ways, I do want to introduce him to a healthier way of eating.  Luckily, he’s already made some awesome changes to his diet this past year.  He and his roommate make dinner at home most nights of the week – lasagna, sandwiches, stir-frys, grilled chicken and veggies, etc.  He’s a fruit fiend – blueberries, bananas, and apples are his favorite.  And he now prefers wheat pasta over white (this is HUGE because a couple of years ago he absolutely hated wheat anything).

As far as changes go, I’d like for us to pay more attention to the quality of the meat we purchase.  If he’s going to eat it, might as well make sure it’s coming from a good source.  I also want to make sure Vishnu eats a good, filling breakfast.  I know, I know – he’s not a child, but with his busy class schedule, breakfast often goes to the wayside.  He loves green protein smoothies and protein cereal and has said himself that he’s very much looking forward to breakfast after the wedding!  Having a variety of healthy snacks around will also be key for us.  We both love granola, Greek yogurt, hummus + veggies, peanut butter, cheese, etc.  We’ll just have to make sure these things are readily available.

healthy eating someecard

Vishnu’s not the only one that’s going to have to be adaptable.  I too am going to have to be more thoughtful about our meals.  For example, there are days every now and then where I don’t feel like cooking, and when that happens, I eat a couple of bowls of cereal and call it a night.  However, I know that cereal would never satisfy my hubby-to-be.  And me being me, I know I would feel guilty if he went to bed on an “empty stomach.”  Also, I could honestly eat the same dinner three to four times a week.  It’s easy and convenient.  Vishnu, on the other hand, likes variety.  So, I think we’re both going to have to compromise a little and be a bit more flexible.  Finally, I know I’m going to have to kick it up a notch when it comes to making Indian meals.  Vishnu and I both grew up in families where our moms made Indian food for dinner five to six times a week.  And by no means is Vishnu demanding I cook certain kinds of food, but I do want to continue with that tradition, but it’ll probably be a three times week thing for us.

It’s funny how food is one of my major marriage “concerns.”  It’s just that Vishnu and I have different views on food and what we like and don’t like.  I know this isn’t abnormal for a couple, but it’ll be interesting to see how we adjust over time. 

Do you find yourself adjusting to the eating habits of those around you, or do you use your influencing skills to get others to adapt to you?

Written on March 19, 2012 Related:Food, Health, Marriage, Relationships

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