Category: News

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we agree! Ensuring your first meal is delicious and nutritious starts the day off on a positive note and provides you with adequate fuel so you can conquer the world. If your go-to breakfast has become a little stale, try these granola breakfast ideas to wake you (and your tastebuds) up!

Rise and Shine: Fun Granola Breakfast Ideas

It goes without saying that we’re pretty big breakfast fans at Little Red Wagon Granola. In the name of all that is delicious, here are some options to satisfy your stomach and your tongue:

Citrusy Chia Pudding

Use the ratio of 2 tablespoons chia seeds to ½ cup milk to make your desired amount. Mix both ingredients in a mason jar with a tablespoon of maple syrup and shredded coconut. Place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, your chia mixture should have a pudding consistency. Top it with a serving of our Cosmopolitan granola for a citrusy bite that compliments the tropical coconut.

Granola Butter Fruit Dip

Use our granola butter recipe with our Crunchy Monkey granola instead of mocha. Add 2 tablespoons of nut butter to the recipe list. Slice up some apples, bananas, or strawberries, and enjoy as a dip. The nutty warmth and hints of banana are a major upgrade from plain ol’ apple and peanut butter.

Cheesecake

Mix 1 cup cottage cheese with ½ cup plain Greek yogurt. Add a touch of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup before mixing again. If you want it to be ultra-smooth, blend for a minute on high. Set aside. In a food processor or blender, emulsify 1 to 2 cups of our Mocha granola with ½ tablespoon of coconut oil. Pour your cheesecake mixture into a bowl and top with the mocha granola “crust” for an indulgent, protein-packed breakfast.

Mix Up Some Magic With Little Red Wagon Granola

Part of our mission is to balance nutrition and comfort—because there’s no reason why the two can’t be mutually exclusive. That’s why our granola packs a flavorful punch as well as protein and complex carbohydrates. Find your balance with a Little Red Wagon variety pack from our online store, and try these granola breakfast ideas to take your meal times to the next level.

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Are you scratching your head over what to give people this holiday season? Gift baskets are a crowd-pleasing option that many underestimate! To inspire your inner Santa, we’ve compiled creative ways to curate a thoughtful granola gift basket your friends and family will love. 

Choose the Flavors for Your Granola Gift Basket

Rather than guessing the gift recipient’s favorite flavors, opt for a Little Red Wagon Granola variety pack. Available in our online store, this option allows you to select which flavors you want in a  4-pack, 8-pack, or 12-pack. Choose from Original, Crunchy Monkey, Cosmopolitan, Mocha, and Big Apple.

The variety pack strategy ensures that at least one flavor will be a hit, and they may discover new favorites along the way!

Include Cute Serving Options

Show your giftee that you thought of everything by adding convenient and stylish serving options that align with their lifestyle. For example, if they’re: 

The Busy Bestie: Pop in a super-convenient dual-compartment container like this one or a more durable option like this snack cup. Your giftee will appreciate having one cup for dry granola and the other for yogurt in a convenient on-the-go package!

The Eco-Conscious Coworker: Include zero-waste, zero-plastic bowls made from discarded coconut shells. Plus, they’re easy to clean and dry in the office breakroom.

The Know-It-All Neighbor: Pour Little Red Wagon Granola into a chic Le Parfait jar so you can skip the judgment and pretend you made it yourself—we won’t tell if you don’t!

Add Fun Toppings 

People love a variety of toppings for their granola. Load spice jars with fruit compote, chia seeds, goji berries, flavored salts, and sparkly sprinkles. Don’t forget to add a nifty label for each so they know what they are!

Presentation Is Key

It’s the season for festive decor, so why not go all out? Stuff a wooden box, woven basket, or canvas tote with shredded crinkle paper. Place the items inside and tie the handle with a big golden ribbon. To top it off, add a handwritten note wishing them a happy holiday!

Shop Little Red Wagon for Your Granola Gift Basket Needs

At Little Red Wagon Granola, we believe gift-giving is always in season. And what could be more practical than the gift of popular snacks like granola? Shop our granola flavors via our online store or a retail location near you. Whether through presents, cards, or a simple hug, let the people in your life know you love them because that’s what the holidays are about. 

Our seasonal pumpkin seed granola, otherwise known as “Pumpkin Patch”, is here for just a little bit longer! Let’s explore the autumnal ingredients and nutrition that make this Little Red Wagon offering a fan favorite, as well as unique ways to enjoy its pumpkin-y goodness!

Palate Pleasing Pumpkin Seed Granola

There’s a reason why our customers stock up on our Pumpkin Patch granola as soon as it becomes available. The pumpkin has a buttery sweetness that heats up with notes of spicy cinnamon. The pumpkin seeds and pecans bring a toasty nuttiness with a surprising tang from the dried cranberries. Each bite evokes the cozy warmth of a roaring hearth on a crisp fall day.

Healthy Benefits

The flavor isn’t the only star of this granola. Pumpkin seeds are rich in beneficial nutrients and minerals like magnesium, which is essential for bone health, blood sugar regulation, preventing heart disease as well as regulating stress and sleep. Not only that, pumpkin seeds contain the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan. The tryptophan and magnesium in pumpkin seeds may make a bowl of Pumpkin Patch granola the perfect late-night snack. 

Creative Treats to Try

While we love Pumpkin Patch granola sprinkled on top of yogurt, check out other fall combinations that also hit the spot: 

Pumpkin Custard: Blend one can of pureed pumpkin with 2 eggs, 1 ½ tbsp of molasses, 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, and 1 tbsp of butter. Pour into ramekins and bake in the oven at 425℉ for 15 minutes. Let the custard cool for ten minutes before topping with the Pumpkin Patch granola. Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream.

Pumpkin Granola Butter: Blend 2 cups of Pumpkin Patch granola, ½ cup of coconut oil,  ¼ cup of maple syrup, and a pinch of orange zest in a food processor until it reaches the desired consistency. Use as a dip for sliced apples, a topping for oatmeal or toast, or straight from the spoon!

Crunchy Acorn Squash: Follow this classic roasted acorn squash recipe. Once your squash is done cooking and has cooled slightly, generously sprinkle our pumpkin granola over the squash pieces. Enjoy with a seared pork chop or alone. 

Hot Tip: Pour the pumpkin granola butter on the roasted acorn squash for an indulgent, stomach-warming side dish. Yum!

Savor Our Pumpkin Seed Granola While It’s Still Available

There’s no doubt that pumpkin is the official food mascot of fall, which is why our Pumpkin Patch granola is so popular. Don’t miss out on this crowd-pleasing flavor. Visit our online store and enjoy free shipping on your order. Bon appetit!

No secret here: We love granola. And, if you’re reading this blog, chances are you do too. That’s why we want to spill the crumbles and announce Little Red Wagon Granola’s new vegan granola bars! We’ve been working on this delicious new addition for a while because we wanted to perfect the details. Now that it’s available via our online store, here’s what you can expect!

You Asked for Vegan Granola Bars, And We Answered

We never ignore customer requests or suggestions because they improve our products. Over the years, we’ve been asked about the possibility of a Little Red Wagon Granola bar and stored your opinions and preferences in the vault—until now. 

We knew our customers wanted an allergen-free bar, so it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free (with the exception of coconut). We checked those boxes without sacrificing flavor. Oh, speaking of that…

Yum Without the Yuck

So many mass-produced granola bars are marketed as healthy and do contain healthy things like fiber and vitamins. Unfortunately, they may also contain large amounts of high fructose corn syrup, palm oil, or an excessive amount of unhealthy fat. 

To offer a more balanced alternative, our new, chewy vegan granola bars contain the following ingredients in order of amount: 

• Tapioca 
• Rolled Oats
• Crushed Oats
• Baking Powder
• Salt 
• Cinnamon 
• Chia Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Milk 
• Molasses 
• Maple Syrup 
• Vanilla Extract 
• Sweet Potato

The oats are packed with soluble fiber, resistant starch, protein, calcium, and several vitamins and minerals. Similarly, chia seeds contain all that, plus omega-rich fatty acids. In contrast, pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, lignans, and zinc. 

As a nod to our southern roots, we also included sweet potato. Obviously, it tastes great and is like nature’s pudding when cooked, but it’s also a nutritional powerhouse. This humble root vegetable has cancer-fighting anthocyanins and supports skin and vision health with beta-carotene. Plus, sweet potato’s vitamin C content boosts immunity while the B6 content supports healthy brain function. 

We’re so excited to offer a new product that tastes as good as it feels. Plus, it’s a chewy consistency that won’t disintegrate all over the place as you enjoy it. 

Order Our Vegan Granola Bars Online 

We’re proud of all our products at Little Red Wagon Granola. Still, we’re especially excited about the launch of our granola bar! It’s perfect for car trips, after-school snacks, pre- or post-workout fuel, or lunch boxes. Visit our online shop to explore all our flavors and grab a few of the new bars!

Some people shy away from buying bulk granola because they assume it doesn’t keep for long, and once it goes stale, there’s no way to revive that satisfying crunch. We’re here to tell you that neither is true. Not only is buying in bulk better for the environment and your wallet, but we’ve also got the hacks to extend its shelf life and preserve its texture! 

Bet on Bulk Granola 

Individuals often spring for large amounts of food or drink products if they are organizing an event, have a large family, donate to food banks, supply complimentary snacks for staff, or simply want to ensure that they have enough food in case of an emergency. 

Plus, buying bulk granola is a smart way to cut down on packaging and save a little money. Next time you’re at the grocery store, take note of the price per ounce of a product and compare it to the same product’s bulk-version price per ounce; it’s often slightly cheaper! 

At Little Red Wagon Granola, we sell four-pound bulk bags of our Cosmopolitan, Crunchy Monkey, Mocha, and Original flavors. For people who enjoy granola regularly, buying a four-pound bag rather than a 10-ounce bag is a savvy way to ensure they have their favorite snack on hand without contributing to waste or adding to the cost. 

How to Extend Granola’s Shelf Life

The prevailing wisdom is that granola has a shelf life of three to six months, if not longer. While granola is not a typical breeding ground for mold or bacteria, the oil and nut content might turn. A good indicator of this is a slightly bitter smell. Rancid oil will not make you sick, but the taste is unpleasant. 

To avoid spoiling or staleness, take half or more of your bulk supply, divide it into four quarters, place each parcel into an airtight container or tightly sealed bag, and store it in your freezer, where it can last for six months or more. 

You can keep the remainder of your fresh granola in its original bag. Just seal it properly after each use or place it in an airtight container. As long as it’s kept from light, heat, and air exposure, granola can stay fresh even longer than six months!

How to Revive Stale Granola

If the unthinkable happens and your granola turns (shudder) stale or mushy, fret not! There’s a quick, easy fix to resurrect its crispy texture. All you have to do is spread a layer of granola on a non-stick baking sheet. Then, heat it in the oven for five to six minutes at 400 degrees. Make sure you don’t put too much on the sheet; otherwise, it won’t toast evenly.

Take it out and rejoice in the crunchy revival! Allow it to cool completely before repackaging to prevent moisture from getting trapped inside and triggering the stale cycle again.

Stock Up On Little Red Wagon’sGranola Online

We may be biased, but we love our handmade granola’s low-maintenance, practical nature. With so much food waste in the world, it’s reassuring to know that there’s a delicious, filling option that’s easily stored long-term. Ready to embark on bulk? Visit our online store and stock up on your favorite flavors!

If you’re a nut butter fan, you’ll love granola butter! Creamy, toasty, and nutty, it can be used in various ways. Plus, it’s super simple to make. So, don’t shell out your hard-earned bucks on pre-made versions. Instead, whip it up yourself and get creative with customizations! 

How to Make Homemade Granola Butter

You can use any Little Red Wagon Granola flavor as the base for your butter, but we love making it with our Mocha granola. Feel free to add extra ingredients like ginger, canned pumpkin, sesame seeds, or flavored extracts.  

Ingredients:

• 1 10oz Bag of Little Red Wagon Mocha Granola (or flavor of choice)
• ½ Cup coconut oil (add more or less to thin or thicken the mixture)
• ⅓ Cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tbsp flax seeds 
• ½ tsp orange zest
• 3 tbsp maple syrup 
• 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions:

1. Place your ingredients in a food processor.
2. Blend on high until you’ve reached the desired consistency. 
3. Pour mixture into a jar and refrigerate. 
4. Bon Appetite!

Tasty Ways to Enjoy

Granola butter is pretty versatile, and how you’ll use it depends on the flavors you’ve chosen to include. We like to use our granola spread in the following ways:

• Topping off a smoothie or bowl of oatmeal.
•  As a dip for strawberries, apples, or bananas.
• Spread on toast or an English muffin.
• Drizzled over ice cream.
• Licked from a spoon!

Proceed with caution—this stuff can be addicting!

Order Little Red Wagon Granola Online and Get Free Shipping

We love traditional granola fixes, like using it as a topping for yogurt. But we also get pumped to experiment with our favorite snack, and blending up some granola butter scratches that itch. Visit our online store to dream up more fun with granola and get free shipping anywhere in the US!

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July is undoubtedly, one of the most popular travel months. After all, people are on summer vacation and looking to escape for a little rest and relaxation. Even when you’re not traveling, you’ll still be busy driving to recreational activities and running errands. So, a travel snack box is the perfect way to fuel up on the go. Here are some tasty snack ideas for summer-specific travel. 

Plane Travel Box Snacks 

Plane travel is famously lacking in the food area, so it’s especially important to bring your own to avoid chalky cookies and overpriced airport food. The best plan of action is to pack a treat that isn’t terribly messy and won’t stink up the plane. Below are some low-maintenance options for air travel:

• Fill a four-compartment container with baby carrots, raspberries, Crunchy Monkey granola, and cubed cheese.
• A simple ham and cheese sandwich paired with apple slices provides the perfect mix of protein, complex carbs, and fiber for longer flights.
• For a vegan option, pack a veggie wrap with hummus, sprouts, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, and sliced bell peppers. Sprinkle fillings lightly with salt, pepper, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.

Keep in mind that TSA may confiscate anything containing peanuts, as they are a common allergen.

Car Trip Treats

The good thing about traveling in the car is that you can stop and wash out your travel snack box, which means you have more options—unless you’re the driver. Luckily we have ideas for both drivers and passengers that are sure to satisfy whether you’re sitting in traffic on your way to work or hauling kiddos to the Grand Canyon.

Passenger Snacks

• A classic yogurt and granola parfait packs the perfect punch of protein, calcium, complex carbs, and fiber. We love our original granola because it pairs well with pretty much any flavor of yogurt. If dairy isn’t your thing, top some unsweetened applesauce with our Big Apple granola for an apple crisp dupe.
• Use a divided container to pack veggies or chips and some dip. Alternatively, you could mix Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and slice fruit to dip it in. Yum!

Driver Snacks

• Make mini-kabobs by spearing turkey-wrapped cherry tomatoes (or your preferred veggie) with a toothpick. Make sure the container is easily accessible so you can focus on driving.
• Pour our Lemony Sunshine Smoothie or Orange Cosmopolitan Smoothie into a travel mug with a straw. 
• Make mocha energy balls by mixing nut butter, soaked Medjool dates, Mocha granola, almonds, and shredded coconut in a food processor. Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls and chill overnight before adding them to your snack box and hitting the road.

Swim, Hike, and Bike Fuel 

If you’re traveling outside by way of biking, hiking, or swimming, then constant hydration should be the priority. Other than having plenty of water on hand, you’ll also want energy from carbs and protein, as well as foods that can replenish electrolytes. Pack your beach bag or sports backpack with these goodies to power up while you play.

• Cube watermelon, dress in lime juice, and freeze for a refreshing treat full of H2O, potassium, and magnesium. 
• Quench your thirst with an icy agua fresca brimming with electrolytes. Just blend cold mango, coconut water, lime juice, and a bit of sugar before pouring through a fine-mesh strainer and into a travel tumbler.
• Make a Caprese sandwich by spreading pesto on whole-grain bread. Add fresh mozzarella and sliced Roma tomatoes with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. 
• Throw an unpeeled banana in your bag! They’re self-contained and higher in potassium than any other fruit. 

No Travel Snack Box Is Complete Without Little Red Wagon Granola

We look forward to summer fun all year, but the hot months are even more enjoyable with these food options that keep you nourished and energized. Stock up on the most travel-friendly snack of all by visiting our online shop and choosing from our yummy selection of handmade granola. Stay cool!

The bright, citrus flavor of lemons has always seemed symbolic of summer, with their sunny skin and tart bite that makes cold lemonade so refreshing on a hot day. So naturally, we wanted to encapsulate those qualities in our seasonal Lemon Drop granola, and suffice it to say; we hit the mark! Discover the ingredients to make your mouth water and learn fun ways to enjoy this summer granola.

How Our Summer Granola Shines So Bright

At Little Red Wagon Granola, we don’t shy away from big flavors, and our Lemon Drop granola is no exception. To ensure the essence of lemon is felt, we added lemon oil to impart juicy aromatics that warm the tongue. Next, sweet white chocolate chips balance the fruit’s mouth-puckering sensation, while crunchy almonds add a nutty texture to crispy, toasted oats. Finally, brown sugar binds each flavorful note into one tasty song! 

Treat Yourself to These Flavorful Pairings 

Granola purists can enjoy our Lemon Drop flavor on yogurt or straight out of the bag, but if you want to get creative, try some of these inventive combos:

• As a topping for ice cream: The lemon crunch goes great with strawberry or Mexican vanilla ice cream.
• Mixed in with cottage cheese: The white chocolate chips and creamy cheese combo give lemon cheesecake vibes. Yum!
• As a crust for lemon panna cotta: Puree the granola with a bit of coconut oil and press it into a small dish. Layer the panna cotta on top, and enjoy with espresso for a lovely Italian dessert.

Try these sweet delights anytime you need a filling indulgence!

Taste The Sun With Little Red Wagon’s Seasonal Flavor 

If you’re a lemon lover, head to our online shop to stock up on Lemon Drop granola before it’s gone! While you’re there, check out other fan favorites like the richly-flavored Crunchy Monkey or our versatile Original flavor that the whole family can enjoy! Need more recipe inspiration? We’re always mixing something up in our blog. 

Little Red Wagon Granola has been committed to natural, sustainably sourced ingredients since our inception in 2004. As a result, our granolas are high in fiber and protein with a sugar content that’s about half the amount of major granola brands. Let’s explore the clean granola ingredients we use as alternatives to the high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, and palm oil often found in popular granola bars and mixes.

Instead of Corn Syrup and Sorbitol, We Use…

We prefer to use real brown sugar and dried fruit to sweeten our granolas rather than high fructose corn syrup, which is difficult for your body to digest and can increase cholesterol. 

Eating large amounts of high fructose corn syrup or pure sugar will have negative health consequences. The American Heart Association recommends that women limit added sugars to 25 grams daily and men limit their intake to 36 grams daily.  That’s why we combine brown sugar and fruit to sweeten our granola, which never exceeds 11 grams of sugar per serving. That’s about half of the amount popular brands pack into a similar-sized serving. 

Don’t get us wrong, we love including sweet treats like chocolate and dried fruits in some of our granolas, but a little goes a long way. We’re careful to add just enough so that you taste it but not so much that it overpowers your palate. 

Instead of Palm Oil, We Use…

Many granola manufacturers use palm oil, while we use butter or vegetable oil. Palm oil actually has some health benefits that butter and vegetable oil don’t. Still, its negative impact on the environment and wildlife outweighs the health perks of its vitamin E and A content. 

To further our Healthy Earth mission, we opt to use butter or vegetable oil in our recipes. They deepen the flavors and don’t add to deforestation, and have a lower carbon footprint.

Get Your Clean Granola Fix With Little Red Wagon’s Online Shop

At Little Red Wagon, our granola is an extension of us and our values. If we don’t want our kids to eat it, it’s not going in our granola. Plus, we add nutrient-dense ingredients like almonds and pecans whenever possible. Check out our online shop to try one or all of our mouth-watering flavors packed with fiber and protein!

The Little Red Wagon Granola team is proud to announce that after much hard work with The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program, we have earned our SQF certification! We’ve been working towards this certification for quite a while, and it’s so gratifying to achieve it. Our goal is to provide food products that meet extremely high standards, and the Safe Quality Food certification ensures actions behind those values. But what does this program do, and how did we get certified? We’ll cover all that and how it impacts granola lovers like you!

What Does the SQF Program Do?

SQF was a division created in 1994 by the Food Marketing Institute to address increasing concerns surrounding food safety, especially after foodborne illnesses like E.coli affected fast food customers.

Before the SQF Institute was established, quality control was up to local food supply chains. Consequently, there needed to be a globally standardized approach to assess food safety, quality, or traceability. 

That’s where SQF stepped in. Their mission was, and is, to establish unilaterally standard practices ensuring food producers, manufacturers, processors, retailers, packagers, and transporters follow SQF regulations. Part of this mission is to educate food production brands on proper SQF protocol to ensure consumers’ safety and earn certification.

How LRWG Earned Its Safe Quality Food Certification

Little Red Wagon Granola is more than just a business for us. It’s our legacy and our passion. We hand-make each batch using natural ingredients. Those are lovely sentiments and aspects of our brand, but earning our SQF certification was the natural next step. 

To prepare for the SQF site audit, one of our team members got a separate certification to help Little Red Wagon identify gaps and our current processes. At the same time, the rest of us studied the SQF code, analysis, and standards. Luckily, they provide classes and resources online to educate the team. All of this helped us understand where we needed to improve and re-organize. Then came the exciting (and nerve-wracking) day we’d been working towards. 

And…drumroll, please…we passed! We have our Safe Quality Food certification, and soon our packaging will bear this hard-earned emblem. Plus, we’ll be re-certified every year, so you know that we’ll never reduce our standards.

Enjoy Your Favorite Granola With Confidence

All this industry jargon means for you is that it’s not just lip service when we say our granola is handmade by us, using sustainably sourced, natural ingredients. It also means that you and your family can feel safe enjoying your favorite Little Red Wagon Granola flavors because each has passed quality and safety standards. Shop on our website to stock up, or find us in your local market!