The Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook | Peanut Butter and Honey Granola

When I was a boy, my parents would often read me stories from The Railway Series. Save for nightmarish visions of poor old Henry being entombed in a tunnel as a punishment for his rain-related vanity (“That’ll learn him,” cackled the Fat Controller), the thing that’s stuck with me most about them is that proud old green engine needing special Welsh coal to be able to run properly. This is probably because I have my own special coal, you see, better known to most folk simply as “oats”.
 
It’s not hard to see why I run so well on them – their beneficial properties are seemingly without end. They lower cholesterol, for one thing, which is good news if you eat as many eggs as I do. They’re also loaded with B-vitamins (specifically thiamine, riboflavin and niacin), which help your body to efficiently process the energy from not only the oats that you’re eating, but just about everything else too. Perhaps more importantly though, their carbohydrates burn slowly after consumption, releasing energy slowly rather than hitting your body with a “sugar spike”. This reduces the possibility of the oats’ energy being stored as fat by your body, and, if you’re into weightlifting, is ideal for building and safeguarding muscle. It’s also helpful for dieters as the feeling of fullness persists for longer.

From an anti-inflammatory point of view, rolled oats are completely natural with no added sugar or preservatives. They’re wholegrain too – their nutrient-rich bran and endosperm are both untouched by the harvesting process. This makes them ideal for anti-inflammatory diets. Those with psoriatic arthritis or other ailments affecting the skin will also benefit from their silicic acid, which is proven to improve skin and nails.

But do you know what’s best about oats? They’re so cheap that they’re almost free. Here’s one of my budget-busting favourites - just 25p a bowl!

300g natural rolled oats [75p per 1kg, so 23p)

100g crunchy peanut butter  [89p for 340g, so 26p]

80g clear honey [99p for 340g, so 23p]

100g raisins [£1.29 per 500g, so 26p]

70g crunchy trail seed mix [49p]

1tbsp (8g) cinnamon [41p per 37g, so 9p)

 

TOTAL COST TO MAKE ONE BATCH (620G): 
£0.23 + £0.26 + £0.23 + £0.26 + £0.49 + £0.09 = £1.56

TOTAL COST PER 100G: £0.25

ONE

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c.

TWO

Mix the peanut butter and honey in a pan and heat until warm. Be careful to ensure that the mixture does not burn or boil away – it just needs to be warm and well-mixed.

THREE

Pour the oats into the pan and stir until they are fully coated in the mixture.

FOUR

Scrape the honey-nut oats into a baking tray and, using the reverse of your spoon, flatten them down to approximately 1cm thick.

FIVE

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

SIX

This is the most crucial step. Remove the baking tray from the oven and, resisting the urge to smash it up and wolf it down straight away, set it down somewhere for at least 15 minutes.

SEVEN

Take a metal spoon and “dig” out approximately half the granola, placing it in a plastic cereal box.

EIGHT

Pour the raisins and seeds into the plastic cereal box too. Chopped-up brazil nuts also mix in well (but these aren’t accounted for in the nutritional information provided above).

NINE

Close its lid and then shake the cereal box.

TEN

Using your metal spoon, “dig” out the remaining granola and place it in the plastic cereal box before repeating step nine vigorously.

ELEVEN

Pour a 100g portion into a big bowl and, if you wish, add milk. Enjoy!