On average, I'm pumping around 6 times a day and, for the most part, exclusively feeding from my pumped supply. Each pumping session, generally, gives me enough milk to feed Eila and a surplus of a few ounces to add to my freezer stash. Because I'm storing around 10-15oz a day at this point, I am not terribly concerned with increasing my milk production, but I want to make sure to not only nourish my body with good food options, but also make sure I'm doing what I can, within reason, to maintain my supply. Enter Granola.
Commonly, you'll see mom's talking about eating oatmeal, granola, and other oat filled snacks to increase and maintain supply. Granola, a versatile snack that can be added to food to give it a crunchy, delicious kick or eaten alone, has a number of healthy qualities to it that can't be ignored. Oats are jam packed with fiber keeping you full and satisfied for long stretches, but often granola includes several other key ingredients that help satiate hunger, fuel your body, and provide some healthy fats and nutrients to your diet. Since having Eila, I’ve eaten granola almost every day with yogurt, which for the record is more times than I've eaten granola than probably the last 5 years combined. In the first weeks of being home, I was gifted a goodie box from a lactation specific food company. Inside was a delicious granola that I continuously found myself adding to my yogurt in the morning or as an afternoon snack. Although their granola is yummy, I can't mentally justify spending the money on the high priced granola when I'm not really convinced that it's helping with my supply or worth $16 for 4oz. My solution? Make my own. My challenge? To make it with only what I could find in my pantry.
It is important to note here that I have very little experience with making granola. It is also important to note, as Patrick would tell you, that I often don't follow recipes. Sure, I'll look up a recipe with the best of intentions, but then when it comes time to cook I often go rouge and wing it. I grew up cooking in a kitchen filled with love and devoid of measuring spoons and cups. Cooking, I was taught, is meant to be fun and creative. It doesn't need to be precise or measured by this train of thought; however, baking does. Granola, to me, is in the baking/cooking no man's land. Do I think it is probably helpful and pertinent to have a recipe so that you don't end up with some kind of gelatinous blob? Yes, do I think that winging it is impossible, though? No. In this case, I knew that I needed to have an equal amount of sweetener and oil in the granola mixture and a basic understanding of what usually is in granola and what I wanted for flavors and textures.
In the end, I made two different granola blends with different ingredients to test them out because Patrick doesn't like nuts in things. Both granola blends had oats, flax/chia seed blend, chocolate chips, peanut butter, a sweetener (honey or maple syrup), salt, cinnamon, a fat (coconut oil or butter), vanilla, pumpkin seeds and a banana. Remember, this is what I had in my cabinet so if you want to use ground flax seed, omit a nut or seed, or change out the peanut butter for almond butter you are welcome to experiment. The chocolate nutty granola was originally intended to have chocolate chips in it, but I had a brain fart moment and added the warmed peanut butter to my bowl melting the chocolate chips (oops). Although neither granola blends tasted like peanut butter, Patrick seemed to enjoy the chocolate granola better than the chocolate chip granola. I found the latter to be a bit wetter and needed a few extra min. in the oven. All in all, I like how both came out and would make them again if not simply because I have the ingredients on hand. Enjoy!
Chocolate Nutty Granola
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup flax, chia blend
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 banana
1/2 cup hazel nuts
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Heat oven to 350ºF.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper
Mix the oats, flax/chia blend, salt, cinnamon, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, and nuts together in a large bowl
In a small bowl, add the peanut butter and coconut oil
Microwave this mixture until smooth
Add in the vanilla and honey to the wet ingredients bowl
Mash the banana and add to the wet ingredients and blend
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend
Spread thinly on baking sheet and put into oven
Bake mixture for 20-25min stirring once
Let cool completely before storing
Chocolate Chip Granola
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup flax, chia blend
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 banana
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
Directions:
Heat oven to 350ºF.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper
Mix the oats, flax/chia blend, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin seeds together in a large bowl
In a small bowl, add the peanut butter and butter
Microwave this mixture until smooth
Add in the vanilla and maple syrup to the wet ingredients bowl
Mash the banana and add to the wet ingredients and blend
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend
Spread thinly on baking sheet and put into oven
Bake mixture for 20- 25 min stirring once
Let cool completely before adding chocolate chips and storing
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