Very berry granola

Cereal can be so dull. When you have restrictions on your diet the choices aren’t so great, despite being faced with entire aisles of boxes! Having to avoid milk, nuts and seeds we’ve found Nestlé brands are a no-go, so it has to be Kellogg’s every time, but even then only certain varieties. Rice Krispies and Cornflakes are good staples, Coco Pops are also fine but bizarrely Frosties are not an option! You might have imagined the opposite would be true. Sugar Puffs and Honey Pops can go down well but that’s about it. Dull huh?

That’s where granola comes in ( homemade, as most varieties contain nuts in some form) – working perfectly with any type of yogurt, this is a breakfast to appeal to both adults and children. I’d opt for dried fruits that aren’t sticky as the whole mix goes a bit cleggy – so with this one, I used a mixture of dried blueberries and freeze-dried strawberries. A colourful, healthy, tasty breakfast of champions!

Very Berry Granola (dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, can-be gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, soya-free)

makes a 500ml jarful

• 1 1/2 cups of oats
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsps sugar
• 2 tbsps sunflower oil
• 2 tbsps maple syrup/golden syrup (honey for non-vegan option)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dried berries of choice
• 1/4 freeze-dried berries of choice

– Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade

– In a bowl mix together all the ingredients, except the dried fruit.

– Spread evenly over a baking tray lined with foil

– Bake for 20-30 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes) until very lightly golden.

– Cool, then stir in the dried fruits.

– Serve for breakfast topped with soya yogurt and maple syrup