Many people mistakenly associate the birth of granola with the hippies of the ‘60s and ‘70s. In more recent times, the word “granola” has become slang terminology for people who live a health-focused lifestyle and are environmentally conscious.

However, the first granola was developed in 1863 by Dr Caleb Jackson, the director of what we would nowadays refer to as a health spa. Jackson was an outspoken vegetarian, which was very rare in those days, and granola was his healthier, simpler alternative to a cooked breakfast.

Head Dietician for FUTURELIFE® Angela Leach says that today granola is generally high in energy and fibre, but that’s not all! She offers three more reasons to add granola to your everyday diet: 

1. Versatile: Granola can be enjoyed in so many ways! Gone are the days of simply being a boring breakfast cereal in a box – granola can be added to yoghurt to make it snazzy; used in a smoothie to bulk it up; or added to your muffin or pancake batter for added texture and crunch. Why not sprinkle a handful over your salad for a chef’s touch? Or use it on top of your veggie bake instead of breadcrumbs. You can even add some granola to your biscuit batter to spice things up.

2. Convenient: Granola can be enjoyed on the run as a delicious, dry snack – just grab a handful to munch on as you run out the door. You can also make your own trail mix by adding nuts and dried fruit to the granola, decant it into small containers and pop it into your bag or car for the days you get the munchies or forget your lunch at home.

3. Tasty: Granola not only boasts crunch and texture, but it is also tasty too! Plus, if you choose a box of FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH you will be spoilt with choice when it comes to flavour and benefits! FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH offers three enticing flavours:

• BOOST made with real honey that combines energy, fibre and selected minerals; iron and magnesium
• VITALITY made with real berries and fruit pieces that combines the benefits of fibre and probiotics
• RENEW made with real cocoa that combines fibre and selected minerals; copper, selenium and zinc

Angela adds that the FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH range offers crunchy goodness for the whole family. “It is perfect for anyone over four years of age, active kids, the elderly, busy executives, active individuals and vegetarians. And, with a little creativity, FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH can even be the magic ingredient to help you whip up some delicious recipes.”

She offers three cool, summer recipe ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

Strawberry Crunch Cup

250g strawberries, hulled and cubed
2 cups double cream yoghurt
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH VITALITY- Berries and fruit

Mix yoghurt with honey and vanilla essence and set aside. Add a layer of strawberries into a cup, then add a layer of yoghurt mixture, another layer of strawberries and layer with the yoghurt mixture again. Top with FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH and enjoy.

Crunchy Layer Up

FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH BOOST- Original flavour
Fruit of your choice
Yoghurt in any flavour
Mixed nuts or seeds (optional)
Honey

Layer your fruit, FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH and yoghurt in any order in a jar or cereal bowl. Top with nuts, mixed seeds and honey and enjoy.

 

Crunchy Choc-Banana Shake

½ cup skim milk
½ cup low-fat vanilla yoghurt
1 handful of ice cubes
1 banana, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
40g (4 heaped tablespoons) FUTURELIFE® GRANOLA CRUNCH RENEW- Chocolate flavour
Put all ingredients into your blender and blend on full power until smooth. Enjoy!