Homemade Granola Bars for a Healthy Snack on the Go

Looking for something easy to make that is a perfect snack before a workout or when you are on the go? Well, look no further. I give you a simple, natural, inexpensive, and best of all delicious recipe for creating your own granola bars!

Many store-bought or pre-made bars are filled with processed ingredients and added sugars – all things you want to avoid for overall health. If you have any GI issues, you especially want to stay clear of these sneaky items. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at the nutrition facts label of these two popular granola bars.

First, my eye immediately is drawn to the long, extensive list of ingredients. That is an immediate red flag! Can you identify every ingredient on the label? With that long of a list, there is bound to be a highly processed item or chemical snuck into your “healthy” granola bar. Second, look at all the sugar! The Clif bar has 21g and the Nature Valley has 11g. It is recommended that females consume 25g or less of sugar per day and males consume 38g or less. Yikes! Luckily, I have a recipe for homemade bars only have 7g of sugar and you can identify all the ingredients. Win!

Still not convinced you should give these a try? Well not only are these easy to make, have less sugar than most granola bars on the market, but their ingredients are fantastic. Oats are rich in carbs and fiber, but also higher in protein than most other grains. They are a nutrient dense food that contains many vitamins and minerals including magnesium and B-complex. Chia seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron, and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol that protects against heart attack and stroke. Flaxseeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, improve bone and joint health, and fight inflammation. 

Ok, hopefully, you have been persuaded to give them a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup of ground flax seed
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• ½ cup of peanut butter or almond butter
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of chocolate or white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator 30 minutes.

(I personally skip this step and go right to making my bars)

3. Remove dough from refrigerator. Press onto a medium sized tin or Tupperware, about 9 inches in diameter. You can press to the thickness you desire for your bars. Cut into bars (about 9). OR roll into balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
4. Store in the freezer if you are going to keep them for longer than a week, otherwise store in the refrigerator.
5. Enjoy!

Nutritional information:

Calories: 118 calories per bar
Carbs: 13g
Fat: 6g
Protein: 3g

(For the most accurate information scan the barcode of the specific ingredients you use in MyFitnessPal. Select the number of servings based on how many bars or balls you create.)