I was playing around with leftovers, some extras from my amateur chef cooking escapades, and came up with a salt-free dark chocolate granola mix for my fellow serial munchers. 

Maybe one day I'll understand why a 43-year-old guy like me tends to snack so much, as if I'm some sort of teenager who needs the energy to grow taller. Excessive munching does not make me grow taller . . .  it makes me grow wider, but still, I munch. 

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I need a snack in the morning, I need a snack to work out, I need a snack after I work out, something to nibble on while I write, and to enjoy something crunchy before I go to sleep or while I'm in bed at night.

Sometimes these snacks consisted of blueberries, cherries, grapes or a mix of them all. But like we all know too well, those healthy snacks tend to go bad quickly and leave you reaching for the popcorn, pretzels and chips that you should only be enjoying in moderation.

The combination of the healthy options expiring as soon as you reach for them, the stress that comes with life in general and the fact that if you use a chip clip on that bag of pretzels, then there's a good chance they may never expire, kind of makes you forget about the whole idea of moderation. 

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The healthiest quick fix for me, though, was to start buying unsalted pretzels, unsalted popcorn, unsalted restaurant style tortilla chips, and making my own unsalted salsa. High blood pressure runs in my family or really every Black family, which means I must be cautious about these things, in addition to having a four-year-old daughter.

If your child sees you munching all day, then they will want to munch all day as well, so you better make it healthy. Enter my granola. 

This recipe is delicious and a win-win for you and your little one. 

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Ingredients

5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 

2 cups raw slivered almonds 

1 cup raw pecans

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup olive oil

½  cup raw agave nectar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey 

¾ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dark semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahreinheit. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until evenly mixed.

   
   

2. Line baking pan with parchment paper then fill with granola mix. Spread evenly. 

   
   

3. Bake for about 25 minutes and then let cool for about 30.