Lunch: Toasted Barley and Berry Granola Recipe | MyRecipes

Recipe by Maureen Callahan While rolled barley flakes look nearly identical to rolled oats, they pack more fiber. Look for them in whole-food shops or supermarket bulk food bins. Serve over plain low-fat yogurt.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Barley, Cinnamon, Wheat Germ, Cranberries

Health and fertility benefits of Toasted Barley and Berry Granola Recipe | MyRecipes

Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley. Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Wheatgerm is a natural source of Inositol, which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS due to its ability to effectively reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity. Researchers believe that cranberries contain substances that prevent infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls. However, store-bought cranberry juice is typically all sugar - so make sure to stick with straight cranberries.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted pumpkinseed kernels
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seed kernels
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cups rolled barley flakes
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/3 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 °.
Place pumpkinseed kernels and sunflower seed kernels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 ° for 5 minutes. Cool seeds in pan on a wire rack.
Combine syrup and next 6 ingredients (through cardamom) in a medium bowl. Stir in toasted kernels, barley, and wheat germ.
Spread barley mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 ° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes.
Remove from oven; cool granola in pan on a wire rack. Stir in dried blueberries and dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container.

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