Hi everyone,
I've been trying to come up with a quick, easy-to-make, no-added-sugar, whole foods granola bar substitute to make for my husband.
He is eating only whole foods except for one Nature Valley Granola Bar every day. The rest of the time, he eats all oil-free, dairy free, meat free, whole grains, veggies, legumes, fruits, and nuts.
I have slowly substituted in better options for his snacks (chickpeas were the acceptable substitute for pretzel sticks, a homemade mixture of walnuts and raisins substitutes for the trail mix he used to eat etc.).
I had yet to find a workable solution for his granola bars though. He needed a portable snack, something satisfying that required several bites to consume, something that would tide him over to lunch. And *I* wanted something that was easy and cheap to make if I was going to have to make it on a weekly basis, and I also really did not want to use any sugar or sweetener other than fruit.
I searched high and low for acceptable solutions but the only 'decent' pre-made bar out there seems to be lara bars, which are way to calorie dense since he already eats 1-2 ounces of nuts per day. They're also expensive!
So, today, after doing some snooping at whole foods granola bar recipes, I came up with my own. It was easy to prepare, he liked it, and he said I can sub 2 of them in for the nature valley granola bar he's been taking to work! Yeah! A victory
here it is:
2 cup rolled oats
2 very large, very ripe, frozen bananas (thawed- the texture is different than fresh and it's easier to mix)
1 cup frozen, pitted cherries (thawed, cut into small bits, liquid reserved. I'm sure thawed berries would work equally well)
1 tsp each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ginger, vanilla
optional: 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1) Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 dish with parchment paper cut to fit (or use square silicone baking dish...this works great!)
2) Mix all ingredients together thoroughly (including the cherry juice). Spread evenly in pan.
3) Bake for approx. 40min. or until bars are set and slightly browned.
4) Cut into 8 bars immediately, but allow them to cool completely in the pan before removing.
Hope you enjoy these
lfwfv
Edited 9/10:I make this recipe on a near-weekly basis. Over time, I have tweaked it a bit so it is even easier and tastier. I also usually make 2 batches at once and I invested in two 8x8 silicone baking dishes which make life so much easier! Here are the alterations, and also a variation:
2 cups rolled oats
2.5-3 very ripe bananas
1 cup thawed sweet cherries, or blueberries
1 tsp each: vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg
optional: 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1) Preheat oven to 350F.
2) In food processor, blend fruit and spices (my husband prefers it when there are still some little chunks of cherry vs. completely smooth).
3) Combine oats and food processor mixture together in large bowl.
4) Evenly distribute mixture in 8x8 silicone dish.
5) Bake for approx. 40min. or until bars are set and slightly browned.
6) Cut into 8 bars immediately, but allow them to cool completely in the pan before removing.
I store these in the fridge in a sealed container. They last at least a week in the fridge and my husband takes two to work each day. They are very hearty and filling (according to him).
A variation:2 cups rolled oats
2.5-3 very ripe bananas
1/2 20 oz can of chunk/crush pineapple in 100% juice, mostly drained (i double the recipe so i end up using the whole can)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
optional: 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
Follow same directions as above, however, cooking time may be longer depending on how much juice you choose to leave in the pineapples.
Last edited by lfwfv on Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:53 pm, edited 4 times in total.