Friday, July 9, 2010 at 07:05 AM
My sister-in-law, Christine, is one lucky lady. She lives in beautiful Rutland County, Vermont in close proximity to a Price Chopper supermarket. She is having tons of fun checking out all the NuVal scores and making new recipes with high-scoring ingredients. She is so kind as to take pictures and keep me apprised of her latest concoctions – even writing this blog post below! She shows how sometimes, by making your own, you can get higher NuVal scores and save money. This week, while hosting my husband’s other sister and her family, she whipped up a batch of this fabulous granola, even creating a nut-free version for our niece with food allergies. Way to go Christine!
On one of the last “Trade Up Tuesdays,” I noticed that many A Better Bag of Groceries readers are also avid granola lovers. Myself included. I love the diversity and flavor that granola can bring with all sorts of food.
But the one thing I’m not a fan of is paying a lot of money for small portions of things. Especially given today’s economic situation. To be honest, I’m tighter than bark to a tree when it comes to money. So with granola it was a love/hate relationship. If I found it on sale/or on special I would definitely buy it. Otherwise I would wait till the next sale/special. But good news – I started making my own granola. That definitely helps cut costs. Not only do I save money but I also know exactly what goes into it.
I love this recipe especially because it uses one of Vermont’s finest ingredients-Maple Syrup. Although maple syrup doesn’t score well, I feel I’m helping out local economy and it tastes sooo good.
MAPLE-NUT GRANOLA
3 ½ C Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats(Not the quick Oats): Nuval score 57
¼ C chopped pecans: Nuval score 65 (I actually use Walnuts because they score higher-82)
¼ C chopped almonds: Nuval score 81
¼ tsp coarse salt
5 tsp vegetable oil: Nuval score 16 (You can “trade up” to canola oil-Nuval score 24)
5 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup- NuVal score 1
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
**You can use any nuts that you like, it might change the scoring**
You can also add Sunmaid Golden raisins (Nuval score of 91) or Sunmaid regular raisins (Nuval Score of 87)
Pre-heat oven to 325. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients together in order that they appear above. Spread oat mix on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool completely. To store, cover and keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
This recipe yields 4 cups-1/2 cup servings.
(But if you buy the 1 lb container of the old fashioned oat container, it yields about 7 of these batches)
This recipe is incredibly easy for kids and adults to make. My niece Danielle, helped me with a nut free version(she has nut allergies).
As you can see, my home-made granola contains mostly very high-scoring ingredients. I compared some store brands of granola to see their scores:
Back to Nature Granola-Classic: NuVal score of 28
Cascadian Farms Organic Maple-Brown Sugar: NuVal score of 16
The homemade version is well worth the effort!
Question of the Day
Would you make your own granola?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Granola, Guest Bloggers
Tags: allergies, Granola, nut-free
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 06:59 AM
Welcome to Trade-Up Tuesday! Every Tuesday, I blog about a Trade-Up I’ve made since learning about NuVal and I give away something for free. Today’s Topic: Granola!
I’ve never been a huge granola eater because I’ve always been wary of the amount of fat and calories that some granolas can contain. As a long-time Weight-Watcher, granola just was never Point-worthy to me. However, a small amount of granola mixed in to one of my favorite Greek yogurts makes a great snack, so I’ve been sampling some these days.
Granola scores really run the gamut. In Today’s Giveaway, I’ve included the Rock Star of all Granolas (Bear Naked Fit) and a Kashi Granola also (because soooooo many A Better Bag of Groceries readers love Kashi). Check out how their NuVal scores compare:
- Bear Naked Fit: NuVal score of 91
- Kashi Mountain Medley: NuVal score of 31
Wow! Big difference! Whoever wins this Giveaway will have to taste-test both of them and let me know how they compare.
To Enter
One lucky winner will win both the Bear Naked and the Kashi granola. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me how you like to eat your granola. You can enter twice by telling me the NuVal score for anything in your second message. For example, if you like to mix your granola into your non-fat plain Chobani Greek yogurt, the NuVal score is 94. You can find lots of examples of NuVal scores on this blog, on www.tradingupdowntown.com and on www.nuval.com. I will choose one winner at 7 am EST tomorrow. Good Luck!
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Granola
Tags: Bear Naked, Granola, Kashi
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 06:53 AM
Hello Blog Friends! After a weekend of celebrating my 40th birthday and Mother’s Day, Tina Haupert so kindly offered to write a post for today. For those who have not yet met Tina, you are in for a treat. She is the author of Carrots N Cake and a superstar in the world of healthy living blogs. She also works for NuVal, helping with social media strategy and writing the blog Trading Up Downtown. So, without further ado, I hand things over to Tina (who is not turning 40 and who is not a Mom – yet)!
Granola is one of my favorite foods ever. In fact, I love it so much, I usually eat multipleservings in one sitting. (It’s actually sort of impressive!) But, as many of us know, store-bought brands of granola can be deceptively high in fat and calories and low in nutritional value. Check out the NuVal scores of these seemly nutritious granolas:
- Cascadian Farm Maple Brown Sugar Granola: 16
- Cascadian Farm Granola Oats and Honey: 18
- Quaker 100% Natural Oats & Honey Granola: 22
Not all granola scores this low, however. Bear Naked Fit Granola, for instance, gets a 91 on the NuVal scale. But, making my own granola at home allows me to chose the most nutritious ingredients possible. Plus, it’s so easy to me and saves me quite a bit of money!
Tropical Blend GranolaRecipe adapted from Real Simple’s Easy Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups Quaker old-fashioned rolled oats (NuVal score: 57)
- 1 cup Diamond Sliced Almonds (NuVal score: 81)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (NuVal score: 24)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bag Emerald Tropical Blend dried fruit (NuVal score: 24)
Directions
- Heat oven to 350° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut, and pepitas with the maple syrup, oil, and salt.
- Bake, tossing once, until golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Granola, Guest Bloggers
Tags: Granola, Tina Haupert
Monday, January 4, 2010 at 07:15 AM
As a veteran gym-goer and Group Exercise Instructor, it has been my observation that there are three weeks of the year when attendance at the gym spikes:
1. The first week in January
2. The first week the kids go back to school in September (what I call the New Year)
3. The first somewhat warm week in Spring (when people begin to realize that yes, they will put a bathing suit on again)
So, here we are at the busiest time of the year for The Gym. Classes will be packed, you may need to wait for machines, and the track at the Y will resemble the Indy 500. It’s always fun to see lots of new faces and sometimes I get new devotees to my Pilates class. But more often than not, numbers go back to normal by the time Superbowl rolls around.
Most days, I get my workout in during the wee hours of the morning. I am lucky to have a great gym close by where I teach a class and have the opportunity to work out with an inspirational group of women on a daily basis. These women are a brave bunch. We get going at 5:45 am. That means you have to be out of bed by 5 or so, get your car warmed up on these frigid mornings, and get bundled up for the dark trip over to the gym. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s so much easier in the summer when you roll out of bed, the sun has already risen, and you don’t need a coat.
I have to admit, that while I’ve been an early-morning exerciser for many years, I had to take a break from this routine when my children were babies. Being a mom to infants is such a 24/7 job that it is nearly impossible to leave the house for an hour in the early morning. A friend of mine who has a larger than life career with a major health insurance provider and two young boys told me that she used to climb the stairs during her lunch hour when her boys were babies since it was the only way to get her workout in. It was not until my second child was almost a year old that I was ready to get back on the early morning wagon. And the ONLY way I could do it was with a buddy. You just are not going to roll over and go back to sleep if you know that your neighbor is in your driveway waiting for you. So, if you are thinking of starting an early-morning exercise routine, it’s been my experience that having a partner with the same goal really works to keep you on track.
One of my favorite early morning classes is Spinning. It’s a great Cardio blast and I burn almost as much calories as I do while running without the wear and tear on my knees.
It’s not just the calorie-burn that insprires me to get out of bed for Spin Class. I’m lucky to have a couple of inspirational instructors who choose some great music to get me going. One of those instructors, Alicia, knows just how to push me to try my best every class. Alicia is one of those Incredible Moms that I’m proud to introduce A Better Bag of Groceries Readers to: she works full-time for a Ginormous Company, she has two beautiful little girls, she teaches Spinning for fun, and she and her husband participate in many races and triathlons. Instead of relaxing things as we got close to Christmas, she held a 75-minute Spin Class on December 23rd. Yes, we had to get up even earlier to attend, but it was worth it. Our Reward? Alicia made us all her famous HomeMade Granola as a little Spinning party favor.
Alicia was kind enough to share her Granola recipe with me and with A Better Bag of Groceries readers.
Column 1 Column 2
8 cups of oats ½ cup oil
1 ½ cup brown sugar ¾ cup honey
1 ½ cup wheat germ 2 tsp. vanilla
1 8oz package coconut
1 ½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
Blend ingredients in Column 1 in large bowl. Heat ingredients in Column 2 until bubbly. Grease 2 pans of cookie sheets. Mix column 1 and 2. Stir well. Pour into pans and bake at 325 for 20-30 mins- stirring a few times. You can freeze the granola in ziplock bags.
I have been mixing a small amount of Alicia’s Granola into my vanilla Greek yogurt and it makes a delicious snack.
Now, if you would prefer to buy your own granola, you should definitely check out these NuVal scores before you do. (Remember, NuVal scores foods from 1-100 based on their nutritional value, and 100 is best). I was amazed at how they varied!
Cascadian Farms Honey & Oats Granola: 18
Quaker 100% Natural Granola: 23
Kashi Granola, Mountain Medley: 31
Bear Naked Fit: 91
Wow! When my stash of Alicia’s granola runs out, I’m off to buy me some Bear Naked. It’s just what I need after a rousing early morning Spin class!
So, if your New Years’ Resolution includes beginning an early morning exercise routine, remember that research shows that morning exercisers are more likely to stick with it. It’s not easy, but with the right support (whether it’s that neighbor waiting for you in your driveway or a super group of comrades at the gym), you can make it a great habit that will change your life.
Question of the Day?
At what time of day do you fit in exercise?
Posted by: Melissa
Posted in: Granola, Spinning
Tags: Granola, Spinning
