On Being Healthy

Dan and I have both been working on eating healthier and getting into better shape this year. It's easier for me because I actually like foods that are good for me.



Although I also like plenty of foods that are bad for me, so...



Anyway, one of the things I've been doing is cooking on Sunday to prep for the whole week. Sometimes I hard-boil a bunch of eggs or roast veggies. Our biggest staples so far, however, are pretty easy: muffins and granola.



I found this awesome recipe on Pinterest, and these muffins rock. They are made with oatmeal and whole wheat flour, sweetened with a small amount of brown sugar and applesauce, and just egg whites. They come together really quickly, are super tasty, and make a great snack or breakfast on the go without sabotaging an otherwise "good" day.

(I do not, however, soak the oatmeal for an hour as the recipe calls for...I just mix it up right away. No issues so far, and I've made these at least a half dozen times.)



Secondly, I make granola.



Granola is kind of a mystery to me, because it's delicious and generally good for you (as long as you don't get a super-sweetened version or totally binge on it, of course) but it's SOO expensive to buy. This is mysterious because it's so easy and inexpensive to make.

My version, which I based loosely on the delicious homemade granola from Elcy's Cafe, goes something like this:



3 cups of oatmeal (I like Trader Joe's Toasted Organic Oats)
1/3 cup of coconut oil
1/3 cup of honey
one big handful of almonds (I use blanched, sliced almonds)
one big handful of cranberries
one big handful of shredded coconut


I mix the first four ingredients together, spread them on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 for about 6 minutes. Stir it around and bake for another 6 minutes. Take it out and while it's still warm, mix in the cranberries and coconut.


Ta-daa!



That recipe lasts us about 2-3 weeks, and you can totally switch out the sweetener, fat, fruit, or nuts as you like. This is just the particular combination that is really appealing to us!



Between these two easy recipes, we have breakfast covered at least 50% of the time (I'm a big cereal eater, so that tends to be my other 50%). Both recipes are full of good-for-you, whole ingredients with minimal sweetening and healthy fats.



Also, they are extremely delicious and lead to very happy Henriches.