Tuesday

Hands Off!

Last night I was doing my usual—got home from work, fed the cats, packed lunches, made dinner, cleaned up a bit etc… After dinner I typically lay out my clothes, clean up again and if I am especially ambitious I will lay out the ingredients for my breakfast the next day. So I got out my unopened bag of JK Gourmet Granola. I had peeked through the front once before and liked what I saw WAY too much so I put it way in the back of my cereal cabinet hoping out of sight, out of mind until next week. Well, this time I could not take the temptation or the waiting until the next day to have my new granola. I was so curious to see how it tasted! JK Gourmet makes granola but it is not your typical oats based granolas filled to the max with oils and sugars. It is a whole food based grain free blend that is all-natural and preservative free sweetened with a touch of honey and packed with nuts and seeds. So what EXACTLY is in it? I had the Original blend which has: Sunflower seeds, raisins, unsweetened coconut, walnuts, almonds, honey, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds. How was it? Top of the crop. Seriously. The taste coupled with the nutrition made it the best granola I have ever had. It was different and totally irresistible with just the right amount of honey kissed sweetness. It doesn’t need anything else and doesn’t have anything funky to make it hearty or tasty, it just IS. If you are leaning towards incorporating a more WHOLE food based diet (this should be everyone), or if you have any dietary restrictions (gluten-free, lactose intolerant, trying to eliminate refined sugars) and if you are a granola freak like myself then this is definitely for you. I have included a pic of the nutritional snapshot. Bear in mind when you are looking at labels where the calories are coming from. Yes, nuts are high in calories but they are also high in nutrients and are GOOD calories and fats. That toaster tart or sugar laden cereal that you see has a similar amount of calories supplies you with a huge dose of sugars, fats and calories all while being devoid of the nutrients that your body needs and craves. You can bet that starting your day or snacking on a whole foods like JK Gourmet Granola’s you will stay full, energized and your body will thank you! On their website they have other heart healthy foods, recipes and an inspiring story on how Grain-Free JK Gourmet’s products began.