Here's a quick and simple granola recipe that lasts a long time in the cupboard without requiring refrigeration. It serves 4-8, depending on how hungry they are!

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup canola or sunflower oil or Earth Balance spread
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Combine oats and seeds in a large bowl, along with any seeds or nuts from the mix-ins (below).

In a separate bowl or cup, combine maple syrup, oil or spread, and cinnamon. Mix well, then pour over the oat mixture. Stir well to coat. Dump the granola onto a 9×13" baking sheet

Bake at 375° F for about 20 minutes, until the oats flakes are brown at the edges. Remove from heat, let sit until it reaches room temperature. Pour into a glass or plastic container. Add the dried fruit mix-ins (below), stir to mix evenly, and store in the fridge or freezer or in a cupboard at room temperature.

Serve like any other cereal: with soy or rice or almond milk, with fresh fruit. You can sprinkle granola on top of smoothies and salads, or pour a smoothie on top of a bowl of granola.  This is a great replacement for milk – a smoothie gives you a great mix of fruits and vegetables (nutrient dense) and it tastes terrific.

Mix-ins:

sesame seeds
flax seeds
walnuts
cashews
almonds

raisins
dried apricot
dried dates
dried apple
dried ginger pieces
dried cranberries
any other unsulfured, unsweetened dried fruit

This batch includes chopped walnuts, sesame seeds, raisins and dried cranberries.

Joel Fuhrman, MD, has written a wonderful book about feeding kids well. It's called Disease-Proof Your Child, and has recipes and tips and strategies for getting your kids to eat healthy. Until the FitFam book, currently titled "Eat This, You Little Brats!", is published, it's the best resource out there for parents who want their kids to be fulfilled, delighted, and nourished by their food choices. Find the book and much more (his Members' Center is very active, and a no-brainer at $7/month) at his website.