I created this recipe for my daughter, Cece, who loves yogurt bowls topped with granola. She’s a cross country runner so I try my best to keep the house stocked full of nourishing foods. I sometimes buy store-bought granola but if I have time, I love whipping together this simple granola with no added sugar…just a 1/3 of a cup of maple syrup to sweeten.

Oats make for a great carb for steady, long-lasting energy. This recipe includes pumpkin seeds, which are one my favorite foods for runners. They’re an excellent source of healthy fats for hormones, plus magnesium to help with muscle function and recovery, and energizing iron. My daughters don’t love whole pumpkin seeds so I grind them up in a powder – undetectable and easy to digest and absorb all the minerals.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups oats
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup ground pumpkin seeds (simply grind pumpkin seeds in a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional for a boost of healthy omega-3 fats)

Optional: mix in freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries, best to add after baking 

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Stir together maple syrup, olive oil and vanilla.
3.  Stir together oats, salt, cinnamon and seeds/nuts in a separate bowl.
4. Combine all ingredients.
5. Spread mixture in a thin layer on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake in the oven, stirring after 10 minutes. Total baking time is approximately 20-25 minutes. Watch closely so you don’t burn!