Apple Pie Granola

My legs are sooo sore today. I woke up in the middle of the night and I felt like my knees were going to break. Waking up in the morning was no better. I did a power vinyasa yoga class today and it loosened me up a bit, but not back to where I was pre-race; that might take a few days.

I didn't feel like cooking, so I rode over to Whole Foods and got some of their hot/cold bar options.

Most of the good stuff was hidden, but there was curried chickpeas, different rice and grain dishes, a "detox" broccoli with kelp flakes, and much much more! Very delicious! Also, very expensive.

I found a website link at Whole Foods for the varying nutrient densities of foods and I came home and took a peek.

Source:  eatrightamerica.com

I find this chart very interesting. I never thought that whole wheat bread was that low in nutrient density. The website explains that if you ate only all very nutrient dense foods you wouldn't get much fat or protein, so you would be too thin and in ill health. They recommend eating these nutrient dense foods as well as other foods, to get a good balance. Too bad I hate kale.

I made some great "Apple Pie Granola" in my boredom today.

I've eaten two bowls of it already, it's delish

Little Health Monster Apple Pie Granola:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of organic oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup chopped granny smith apple
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup no-sugar-added apple sauce
• 1/4 cup agave
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or agave)
• 1/8 cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoons each of flax and chia seed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together (except the flax and chia seeds) and mix well. Pour onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, or a silicone sheet. Spread out evenly. Bake for 30-50 minutes, making sure to shake the granola so both sides cook. When it's nice and golden take out of the oven and sprinkle with flax and chia seeds. Let it cool completely before putting it in a container, or you will have soft granola when you wake up. The reason for not adding the flax and chia seeds until after is because the high heat kills the great nutrients locked up in these seeds.

Enjoy with some almond milk!!