Healthy Power Bars

Healthy Power Bars

I searched everywhere to find a healthy bar I could grab on the go.  They either had ingredients I have never heard of, which means I don't eat it, or peanut butter.  And I would rather shove razor blades under my fingernails that eat peanut butter.  Okay, that was a bit graphic, and I get that it makes me un-American and probably a communist, and I'm okay with that.  I will eat peanuts, Thai peanut sauce etc. but really, why squish up a perfectly good peanut and make "butter" out of it.  Enough ranting.

So on I searched for a good recipe and finally I gave up and made up my own.  I never seem to follow a recipe anyway, so no big deal.

My family is gobbling them up and loving them.  Yay, me!  I hope you enjoy them too!  So here you have it.  What to eat on hectic days when there really isn't much time to eat.  These healthy power bars are low in calories, low in fat and low in sodium.  Maybe they will keep you going and prevent you from delving into something unhealthy.

Healthy Power Bars

The Chef In My Head

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom 

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick organic rolled oats

1/2 cup any flavor organic flax cereal

1/4 cup organic applesauce

3 T brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 well beaten egg

2 T oil

1/4 cup of chopped pecans, or walnuts

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup dried berries, your choice

1/3 cup goji berries

1/4 cup chia seeds

Line a square 8 X 8 baking pan with aluminum foil, spray lightly with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cardamom, flour, oats and cereal.  Add to this the applesauce, brown sugar, honey, egg and oil.  Combine well.  Add to this the nuts, sunflower seeds, dried berries, goji berries and chia seeds.

Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan.  Smooth top with the back of a spoon.  Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, watch for too much browning.  Remove from oven, allow to cool and lift the bars with the foil and cut into pieces.

Put bars into individual snack sized baggies and refrigerate.  

Grab and go!!

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Healthy Dried Fruit and Nut Balls

Dried Fruit & Nut Balls

Dried Fruits are some of the healthiest alternatives to refined sugar, and they are an excellent way to satisfy a sweet craving. While many manufacturers use the natural sugar found in fruit, called fructose, to sweeten their products, eating fruit itself in moderation is a great way to get needed nutrients and vitamins. Dried fruit is a quick and tasty way to get those same benefits during a busy, fast-paced day.

Nuts and Seeds, although energy dense and therefore high in calories, they can in fact be beneficial for weight loss.  Both of these foods are high in fiber and protein making them a filling snack option that will keep you satiated for a long time.  Not only this, but nuts and seeds are packed full of nutrients, making them a health super food, and hugely more nutritious than other popular snack foods.

Combine these healthful ingredients and 

boost your energy with healthy super foods! 

Nutty Notes:

Healthiest Nuts & Seeds

According to the George Mateljan Foundation’s list of the world’s healthiest foods, the healthiest nuts include:

Almonds: High in vitamin E, magnesium, copper, vitamin B2 and phosphorus and concentrated in protein.  The majority of fat in almonds is heart healthy mono-unsaturated fat.

Cashews:  High in antioxidants, mono-unsaturated fats and phosphorus and with a lower fat content than many other nuts.

Flaxseeds (Linseed):  High in omega-3 fatty acids, beneficial for anti-inflammatory properties, as well as vitamin B6, fibre and manganese.

Peanuts:  High in mono-unsaturated fats, flavonoids, antioxidants, and folic acid.  They are also high in vitamin B3 and are thought to contain an antioxidant known as resveratrol, which is thought to have anti-aging effects.

Pumpkin Seeds:  High in essential fatty acids, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin K, these may be beneficial for arthritis and help lower cholesterol.

Sesame Seeds:  Good source of Vitamin B1, mono-unsaturated fats, and phytosterols which inhibit cholesterol production.

Sunflower seeds:  High in linoleic acid, fibre, magnesium and phytosterols.

Walnuts:  High in omega 3 fatty acids, manganese and copper.  They also contain an essential amino acids used by the body to make nitric oxide, which is required for keeping blood vessels flexible.

Healthy Dried Fruit & Nut Balls

The Chef In My Head adapted from Whole Living

Approx. 30 balls

2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used prunes, strawberries, raisins, goji berries, bananas, cherries, cranberries) 

1-1/2 cups raw mixed nuts and seeds (I used walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sprouted almonds)

Cinnamon

Coarse sea salt

1/3 cup raw sesame seeds

In a food processor, pulse dried fruit; transfer to a bowl.

Pulse nuts and seeds until finely chopped and add to dried fruit with a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Knead together and form 1-inch balls; roll each ball in sesame seeds.

Notes:  I used prunes for the obvious health benefits but also because they make good glue to hold balls together.  I find it helpful to dampen my hands to form balls before rolling them in sesame seeds.

Personally, I think Santa would like these!

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