Granola is one of those breakfast cereals that always feels like a treat. Made with a combination of rolled oats, nuts, syrup or honey and dried fruit, the cereal has a crunch texture that is achieved by baking it until it hardens. Granola is also pretty versatile as it can act as either a breakfast cereal or a quick, satisfying snack that has a good punch of nutritional value, and can be taken along pretty much anywhere and everywhere, be it work or on the hiking trail.

And you know what's better than regular, store-bought granola? The homemade variety. Even better: it's easy! Extremely easy in fact, as you'll see Rita demonstrate in the video below. All you need is some old-fashioned oats (not the instant or quick-cooking kind), your favorite nuts, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla and some dried fruit.

As far as all good recipes go, make it your own "signature" granola by adding your favorites: flax seed is one suggestion. You can also try different types of syrup or honey (or a mixture of both!) and alternate your choice of nuts between healthy options such as almonds, walnuts or sunflower seeds. As for dried fruit, cranberries, cherries, blueberries, raisins or dates are all good choices that will add more flavor and texture to an already awesome treat.

An additional bonus of making your own granola is that you know exactly what is in it rather than trying to identify vague ingredients listed on the box, and you can make them organic or use locally-produced ingredients to make it.

Watch Rita's video below to see how you can get started!

» YouTube