Buying granola bars is easy and convenient but the ingredients aren't always up to par. Even the ones marketed to look healthier have their reservations. The ingredients I notice the most lately are all the oils! "Vegetable" oils (which aren't even made from vegetables!) are in EVERYTHING. Canola, sunflower, soybean oils... I literally see them in so many things that I don't even know why they're in there. Without opening Pandora's box, these ultra-processed "vegetable" oils are bad (perhaps a post just on oils another time!).
The following ingredients are of a popular name-brand kids granola bar that is marketed as healthier: Oat blend (rolled oats, oat flour, oat fiber), Tapioca syrup, fig paste, sunflower and/or soybeal oil, cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, natural flavors, cocoa butter, baking soda, salt, soy lecithin, vanilla extract, mixed tocopherols.
And here are the ingredients of a popular chewy granola bar: Granola (whole grain oats, brown sugar, whole grain brown rice crisp, sugar, salt), whole grain wheat, soybean oil, coconut, whole wheat flour, baking soda, soy lecithin, non-fat dry milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), brown rice crisp, invert sugar, corn syrup, glycerin, cocoa butter, soy lecithin.
The ultra-processed vegetable oils, the processed sugars, the other unnecessary ingredients... not for me. I like to know and control what's going in my food and in my body.
Now when I'm in any kind of market (grocery, craft-fair, etc) I have a habit of saying "Oh I can make those myself!) so here I go... These granola bars are perfectly kinda-chewy-kinda-crunchy and pretty easy to make. The best part is that you know exactly what's in them, and it's all GOOD stuff mostly from whole, natural sources. And what I also love is no wrappers! These are earth friendly, which is also important. I know individually packaged foods are great for people to take on the go or to send with kids to school but that's what reusable containers/pouches are for! My daughter just throws these in her lunch container and away she goes.
This is what you need (use organic when possible!)
1/3 cup local raw honey
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (Kirland's organic creamy is my favorite)
1/4 cup cold-pressed coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oat (I use One Degree from Costco)
1 cup puffed or rice cereal of choice (I use Chocolate Cascadian Farm Organic Cocoa Crispy Rice)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I use a mix but almonds, walnuts, macadamia are all great)
1/4 cup pepitas seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
3 TB cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
dash of sea salt
Preheat oven to 325 and line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper. Then mix the honey, peanut butter and coconut oil in a small pot over low until smooth and blended (or microwave a few seconds until melty).
While those are heating, mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Once the honey/PB mix is smooth, pour over the dry ingredients and mix until everything is coated and blended well.
Pour into the lined baking dish. With a wet hand, or flat spatula, press down firmly. Bake for 25 minutes or until it starts to turn a golden brown.
Once completely cooled several hours or overnight, cut into 18 bars (3x6). *If you cut too soon before they're set, everything will crumble. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks if they last that long!
Options: try using 1/2 the nuts and adding sunflower seeds or use raisins instead of chocolate chips. Be create and adjust according to needs (but beware, if you venture too far off, they may not hold together).
Nutritional information:
1 bar (1/18 th of recipe)
180 calories; 10.25g fat (4.5g sat. fat); 19g carbs; 3.6g fiber; 6.5g sugar; 4.5g protein
*Remember, not all fat is bad! Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of healthy fats essential for our bodies to function.
Comments