01

Preheat your oven to 250°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

02

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including rolled oats, wheat germ, shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chopped walnuts and pecans, ground cinnamon, and salt. (Option: use just one type of nut instead of the variety of three. Note that walnuts are used to add essential omega-3 fatty acids to this meal.)

03

In a small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, including water, walnut or coconut oil, pure maple syrup or honey, pure vanilla extract, and pure almond extract.

04

Slowly pour the whisked liquid ingredients over dry ingredients, stirring well to coat. To maximize flavor, let this sit for 1-2 hours before baking.

05

Spread granola on large baking sheets approximately 1 inch thick. Bake in a 250° oven for approximately 1½ hours, stirring every 30 minutes to bake evenly. Bake until granola is golden brown and lightly toasted. Feel free to line your baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean up and to toast the granola evenly.

06

Add chopped medjool dates in the last 10 minutes of baking, stirring into the hot granola. Bake additional 10 minutes until the dates are just softened.

07

Pour baked granola into a large stainless steel bowl and toss to spread the warmed date pieces throughout. Allow granola to cool covered with a linen towel.

08

Once granola is cool, place in a sealed container and store in a cool place to maintain freshness. Granola may be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer to maintain freshness for 3-6 months when making large batches of granola.

01

Serve ¾ cup of Dr. Cheryl’s Granola and top with 1 cup fresh blueberries and ½ cup organic, unsweetened soy milk or milk of choice.

01

What is the best portion size for me? I have included 2 options of ¾ cup of granola for a 464-calorie meal and the option of a 1 cup serving of granola for a 563-calorie meal. If you are at your ideal weight and want to maintain your weight, choose the ¾ portion of granola. If you are eating two meals a day, I would suggest eating the 1-cup portion. If you are super active or have a teenager that is growing and active, make a meal with 1 cup serving or even increase to 1½ cups of granola and add another cup of fruit. For a light meal, use ½ cup of granola and make a parfait with layers of yogurt (plant-based or Greek yogurt, unsweetened and unflavored), granola and fresh berries. Chill and enjoy.

02

What soy milk do you recommend? I like Eden soy milk which is aseptically packaged, unsweetened, and made from simple whole soybeans and water. This milk can be stored in the pantry for several months and only needs refrigeration after opening. This soy milk does not have any preservatives or added sugars and is made from organic, non-GMO whole soybeans. It is also high in protein, with 11 to 12 grams of protein per 8-ounce serving. Soy is also a plant-based protein and contains essential omega-3 fatty acids, making it a superfood.

03

Can I make this granola gluten-free? My simple answer is yes. Use organic rolled oats that are made in a gluten-free environment, like Bob’s Red Mill. Also, replace the wheat germ with quinoa flakes. Quinoa flakes tend to burn easier when baking, so watch the oven temperature and reduce baking time by 15 minutes to be sure the granola is not over-toasted.

04

How do I store my nuts so they do not get rancid? Nuts get rancid very quickly when kept at room temperature. If you keep your nuts in a pantry that is not at a consistently cool temperature and not properly sealed, they can get rancid in just a few weeks. The fat in nuts is plant fat and is not saturated, which means with warm temperatures and air, the fat will get rancid. What this means is the nuts are still safe to eat, but they taste bad. Your recipes will not turn out as delicious as you’d like, and some people don’t realize the nuts were the problem and then end up adding more seasonings like salt and sugar, not realizing we are adjusting taste because of bad ingredients. I always smell or taste nuts before using them in a recipe because rancid nuts will ruin the flavor of any recipe. Unfortunately, I do not recommend buying nuts in your local grocery store. I find that 95% of the time, they are rancid the day you buy them.

05

Where do I buy my nuts? I try to purchase my nuts directly from growers through Amazon. I look for fresh nuts from that same season to get the freshest, most delicious nuts. I buy organic nuts, and I purchase them in larger quantities a few times per year. When the nuts come in larger quantities, I store them in 1-quart freezer bags in my freezer or refrigerator, this way my nuts will taste fresh for several years without being rancid, and I always have a supply of nuts for last-minute meal prep.

06

Are nuts healthy? Yes. Nuts provide healthy plant protein and healthy plant fat that is needed for a healthy diet. I often say that nuts are my beef replacement. Nuts provide fullness and satiety to meals like beef. Nuts also reduce the risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure, and are naturally loaded with fibers that heal the gut and turn on healing for the body. Nuts contain healthy plant fats and have zero cholesterol. So, store up on healthy nuts since they are the new beef and support living the longest, healthiest life. You earn one point daily on The Longevity Score for eating ¼ cup of nuts daily.

07

Dr. Cheryl’s Granola: This granola is super easy to make - most of the prep time is in baking the granola slowly in a low-temperature oven for 90 minutes. I make large batches of this granola (multiplying these ingredients by four) and store the granola in sealed containers to refrigerate or freeze to keep fresh for months. It may take some time to prepare larger batches of this granola, but in one Sunday afternoon, you can take 15 minutes to toss the ingredients together. Then, while you are doing other things, just stir the granola every 30 minutes as it slowly bakes. Now you have a delicious, freshly made granola ready for last-minute, on-the-go, busy mornings for days and weeks to come. Pair the granola with soy milk or almond milk, or your milk of choice, and top with fresh berries for a complete breakfast.