Many, many cookbooks find their way to my kitchen, and, among the more recent books to land on my table was I Quit Sugar by nutrition activist and long-time colleague of mine Sarah Wilson, sent to me by Random House. It’s a lovely, simple book with gorgeous recipes, and simple, well-balanced recipes.
I Quit Sugar: Your Complete 8-Week Detox Program and Cookbook
I Quit Sugar guides readers through a simple, 8-week program designed to minimize and remove added sweeteners from their diets, though concessions are made for brown rice syrup and stevia. Her system is low-key, and begins first with cutting back on added sweeteners, learning to love fat, before guiding readers through how to handle cravings, how to get creative in the kitchen and how to settle into a lifestyle that emphasizes wholesome foods, while also minimizing added sweeteners.
And for people who are new to whole foods, and just learning to make that transition, the cheerful, positive guidance provided in I Quit Sugar might just be the support they need.
On a personal level, I strongly favor Sarah’s approach to food: whole, fresh, enticing, and expertly executed. I Quit Sugar is heavy on the stevia, and while I’m not a fan of stevia, those of you who need to choose noncaloric sweeteners might find her book particularly helpful.
While I don’t avoid added sweeteners, and instead favor the inclusion of unrefined sweeteners as a part of a wholesome, well-rounded approach to foods, I still appreciate the gentle and cheerful wisdom provided in I Quit Sugar. And the recipes? They’re fantastic. Summery Quinoa Tabbouleh. Squash and Pumpkin Seed Hash. Cilantro Pesto. Yum.
Coco-Nutty Granola
Among my favorite of her recipes was a simple morning granola of coconut and sprouted nuts that become all toasty roasty in the oven, before gracing a bowlful of yogurt. For breakfast, I enjoy protein- and fat-rich meals because they’re particularly satiating, keeping me full well into the afternoon. I’ve been looking for a solid coconut- and nut-based granola for some time now, and felt so pleased when I opened up Sarah’s book only to find just that. I like to add dried, unsulphured apricots to my bowl for they offer a beautiful butterscotch flavor, complemented by both nuts and cinnamon in the recipe.
Why Use Sprouted Nuts (and where to find them)
Sarah’s recipe for Coco-Nutty Granola includes sprouted nuts. The processes of soaking, sprouting and roasting nuts (alone or together) produces remarkable results from both a nutrition and culinary perspective. These processes mitigate the presence of natural antinutrients like food phytate which bind trace minerals preventing their full absorption, as well as mitigate the effects of enzyme inhibitors that can make nuts and seeds difficult for some people to digest.
You can find sprouted nuts here.
Coco-Nutty Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 cups mixed nuts
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5-7 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 3 tablespoons brown rice syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine all the ingredients, then spread evenly on a tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden, turning halfway through the cooking time. I like to bake mine until quite dark—the darker it is, the crunchier. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then eat while it’s still crispy.
Hello Jenny, Thank you for your beautiful work. I have a question regarding your baked oats recipe in your book, The Nourished Kitchen. Is it really 8 cups of steel cut oats? My 9×13 pan was a lot fuller than the photograph showed yours as being, and the finished product was very loose, not held together at all by the eggs; It is not possible to cut a square. Thank you!
We tested that recipe several times. It should work. That said, you could try to cut down the ratio of oats to 4-6 cups and work from there if it’s too loose as it is. Let me know!
Granola roasting in the oven as we speak! Smells and looks delicious. I added rolled oats and raisins and used maple syrup for sweetness (about 2 tbs). Cannot wait to eat with my morning yogurt.
Have you heard of the concentrated levels of arsenic present in brown rice syrup? Mostly all brown rice contains arsenic and products made from it usually has more. Maple syrup or sucanat seem like fine sweetness to me!