Big, crunchy clusters of Not-Too-Sweet Granola with plenty of flavor from cinnamon, turmeric, maple syrup, and nut butter!

Granola and I go way back. Our love affair began around 2014, when I got pretty chummy with granola bars. I’d chuck Nature Valley Fruit & Nut bars into every bag I owned, “just in case.” I probably ate one a day. Sometimes even two.

But when you peel back the label cleverly hiding the nutrition facts on a standard-issue granola bar, you’re greeted by added sugar after added sugar. Corn syrup. Added fructose. Barley malt extract. All things that the food industry uses to make you want their products more. The waistline inflation is just an unfortunate side effect of their crafty marketing.

With the help of my hurried-Chinese-takeout-for-dinner habit, my hurried-granola-bars-for-snacks habit caused my weight to skyrocket—and my body image to plummet—within a matter of months. Only after the damage was done did I realize that what I was putting in my mouth was actually hurting my body and my mind.

It took me a long time to take down the sweet tooth I’d built up. Things that had previously tasted sweet enough, like fruit and a drizzle of honey, suddenly seemed lacking. My taste buds had been reengineered to crave that punch of artificial, syrupy sweetness. They were NOT HAPPY when I decided to cut it out.

And at the same time, I’d been drinking about 40 ounces of soda a day. Sugar was just a part of my daily routine. I consumed mass amounts of it without even thinking twice.

Once I started reading more about real food and cooking, I took a good hard look at my own habits, as well as the habits of others around me.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that, while certainly detrimental, my sweet tooth was actually rather tame in comparison to a lot of my friends’. Eating sugar, drinking sugar, thinking and talking about sugar, celebrating with sugar, conceding to our failures, emotions, and regrets by diving into a big pile of sugar… These were all things that we just did. Because, at its core, sugar is biologically rewarding.

Let’s go back in time for a sec. Once upon a time, we were all walking around with our knuckles on the ground (anthropologists pls confirm), and it occurred to us that sweeter fruits supplied us with more energy. We seek out sweet things because our brains are hard-wired to see sugar as a sign of nutrient density. Meanwhile, the food system was evolving to make food as appealing and cheap as industrially possible.

Before I go on, I’d like to set the record straight on one thing: I do not think sugar is inherently evil. Everyone should be allowed to enjoy their favorite desserts without feeling guilty for days afterward.

I do, however, think that we should all take a moment to turn inward and confront the habits that aren’t nourishing our bodies and our minds. I also think we need to examine how we interact with sugar to make sure we aren’t using it as a crutch.

After cutting daily processed sugar out of my diet, I realized that my unhealthy habits were actually a sign of deeper problems with my mental health. Filling my plate with wholesome foods helped me improve my mindset, which made it easier to choose healthful options. And it really made it easier to keep those glorified candy bars masquerading as health food out of my grocery cart.

Perhaps my favorite part of eating mindfully, though, is the discovery process.

Chances are, if there’s a food you love that isn’t the healthiest, there’s a healthier choice waiting just around the corner. You just have to find it first. It does take a little bit of digging, since the market is really saturated with sugary-salty-fatty products. My solution?

Make the dang thing yourself. It saves you money and it usually tastes better, as is the case with this granola.

I’ve probably posted about this granola on my Instagram about six times already. I can’t help it, though—it REALLY IS the best granola I’ve ever made. I make a batch of it once a week, and we demolish it all the way to the crunchy, oaty shake left at the bottom of the jar.

Half a cup of maple syrup seems like a lot, but it really isn’t once you mix it with all those oats and nuts and seeds. It just gives this granola a little kiss of sweetness. It hangs out so nicely with some yogurt, fresh fruit, and a little honey drizz.

The moral of the story here? Sugar isn’t the enemy. Sugar is fine, it’s sweet, it’s delicious, and sometimes it’s just what your taste buds want. But be sure that you’re eating it mindfully. Think twice before you tear open that wrapper. Eating the things that are good for your body just so happen to be good for your mind and soul as well.

More Not-Too-Sweet Breakfast Ideas:
Sweet Potato Crust Quiche
Asian Breakfast Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
Southwest Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

IF YOU MAKE THIS NOT-TOO-SWEET GRANOLA, DON’T FORGET TO SNAP A PHOTO AND TAG ME IN IT ON INSTAGRAM @FEELINWHISKY! I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU DO WITH MY RECIPES!