When it comes to peri-menause, menopause or post menopause, eating healthy, nourishing food is essential. In today’s recipe I am sharing a delicious menopause friendly granola recipe. I have created especially with menopause friendly plant-based nutrients in mind.
What plant-based ingredients are good for menopause?
A plant-based diet is excellent for peri-menopause, menopause and post menopause.
I’ve written a full article about Plant-Based Foods For Menopause here. You’ll find loads of information of which plant-based foods are ideal for nourishement before, during and after the menopause.
I look at plant-based protein, omega-3, fibre, tryptophan, vitamin D etc.
Plant-based menopaused foods for example…
In this granola you’ve got got oats, pumkin seeds, sunflower seed, quinoa and buckwheat.
They are good source of tryptophan.
Why is tryptophan good around the menopause? Tryptophan is an amino acid that makes hormones, and brain chemicals. It enables the production of serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is important for mood, sleep and appetite regulation. Melatonin is directly involved with a healthy sleep rhythm. All super important around menopause.
Plant-based menopause friendly granola recipe ingredients
I’ve included seeds such as flaxseed, pumpkin seed, and sunflower seed in this menopause friendly granola recipe. They all offer helpful nutrients that are helpful for menopause.
Flaxseed for example, is excellent for phytoestrogens, specifially lignans. For most of us these phytoestrogens are essential for balance as our estrogen levels decline.
Flaxseed, along with pumpkin seed are also excellent for Omega-3 essential fats, which is important to keep in check around menopause.
I am also use oats, buckwheat flakes, quinoa flakes, which are all interchangeable. That means if you want to use ALL oats or all buckwheat etc then you can. Just swap them for each other.
Which sweeteners are menopause friendly?
I am sweetening with maple syrup. You also have the option to use date syrup or agave syrup. All of these syrups are more gentle on your system compared to regular refined sugar.
Raisins and dried cranberries also feature in this granola. Not only do they bring in a beautiful natural sweetness, but they also offer some good nutrients.
Cranberries are well known for their wealth of antioxidants as well as keeping our urinary system in check.
Having blood sugar spikes can wreak havok with our system. It’s important to take care of our sugar intake around menopause to stay more balanced.
Menopause Granola Recipe - Woman's Health
A delicious, healthy menopause friendly granola recipe to make at home.
Ingredients
- 500g rolled oats
- 150g buckwheat flakes (can swap for oats)
- 100g quinoa flakes (can swap for oats)
- 100g pumpkin seeds
- 100g sunflower seeds
- 3 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 100ml maple syrup (can swap - see notes)
- 100ml coconut oil (or olive oil)
- Handful of raisins
- Handful cranberries (can swap - see notes)
Instructions
- If you need to grind your flaxseeds do this in a bullet blender. This should take a few seconds.
- Put the oats, quinoa flakes, buckwheat flakes, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, ground flaxseed and cinnamon into a mixing bowl.
- Mix in the maple syrup thoroughly. Take a minute to do this to make sure everything is evenly coated.
- Spread evenly on a large oven tray. Bake in an oven at 180C (350F). Keep an eye on it. You'll need to take out and mix in about three times during the baking period. It'll start to tan on top and can burn quickly if you don't mix it back in.
- Your granola should be cooked after about 20 minutes, depending on your oven. If it's tanned on top and you've mixed in about three or so times then it's good to go.
- Allow it to fully cool.
- Once cool mix in your raisins and cranberries.
- Next, store in an airtight container. This will keep for a few weeks.
- Let me know how you get on in the comments below.
Notes
Ingredient swaps
The oats, buckwheat flakes and quinoa flakes are interchangeable. If you can't have any one of them, or have an allergy or dislike, then swap out for one of the others.
If you don't have cranberries, you can swap for more raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried figs or chopped dates.
Maple syrup can be swapped for date syrup or agave syrup.
Oven temperature
You can bake this at a higher or lower temperature. This is handy if you are baking something else at the same time.
With a lower temperature bake a little longer.
With a higher temperature keep a close eye on it. It will be ready faster and you'll need to turn it more otherwise it might burn.
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