No, not THAT bar, silly: the granola bar, of course! What better way to start your morning than with something simply healthy, and do-ahead simple.

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. How we eat in the morning, determines how we will eat the rest of the day. If we snack on empty carbs, and grab a caffeinated drink as we rush out the door, you can bet that by 10 AM we will be feeling the need for a nap. Since 10 AM naps are out of the question in most business settings, we would most likely grab another shot of caffeine, or something sweet to boost our metabolism — anything to get us through to lunch time!

How about another solution: grab a granola bar instead! These bars are full of healthy ingredients that don’t actually taste like cardboard. Honest! And they contain the healthy “sweet” like rich, golden honey and agave nectar, that doesn’t cause a crash later in the morning.

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Oat & Honey Bars

Servings: Approximately 20

8 oz rolled oats
2 1/2 oz millet
2 1/2 oz quinoa (rinse and dry on a dish towel before mixing with other grains)
3 oz almonds (chopped)
3 oz pecans (chopped)
1 1/2 oz wheat germ
1/2 oz vegan butter
1 3/4 oz dark brown sugar
3 oz agave nectar
3 oz maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 9” x 13” baking pan with cooking spray or vegan butter.
2. Combine dry ingredients (oats, millet, quinoa, almonds, pecans and wheat germ). Spread on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes. (Reduce oven to 300 when removed.)
3. Combine wet ingredients and salt in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until brown sugar is just dissolved. Remove from heat.
4. Add toasted grains and nuts to sugar mixture and combine thoroughly. Press into coated baking pan and press flat.
5. Bake at 300 for 25 minutes.
6. Allow to cool almost completely before cutting. It will be easier to cut if it’s just a bit warm.

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Chewy Granola Bars

Servings: 12 granola bars

3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pecans)
2 tablespoons unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (optional)
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup dried fruit of your choice (raisins, chopped dates, chopped apricots, cranberries, etc)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with foil that overhangs the pan on all sides by at least one inch. Lightly grease the foil.
2. Spread the oats, nuts, and seeds on a baking sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes, or until they are lightly toasted, stirring once or twice to insure even cooking.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and let the oat/nut mixture cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, combine the wheat germ, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon with a whisk until blended.
5. In a large mixing bowl, stir the oil and brown sugar with a whisk until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla.
6. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined, then stir in the oat mixture and dried fruit until well combined.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake the bars until they are set, about 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack until the granola bars have cooled completely.
9. Lift the slab of granola bars from the pan using the overhanging foil as handles and place on a cutting board. Cut into desired size squares/bars.

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Cranberry Spice Granola Bars

Servings: Approximately 18 bars

1 tsp. butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups brown rice crisp cereal
3/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup Grade B maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
pinch ginger

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the almonds and pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven for 6–8 minutes, or until they start to brown a bit.
2. In the meantime, grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with the butter and set aside. Now, mix the oats, rice cereal, cranberries and toasted almonds and pecans in a big bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the syrups, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and vanilla extract over medium-high heat, stirring to avoid burning. Once the syrups come to a light boil, continue to cook for an additional 3–5 minutes until the syrup begins to thicken, then pour it over the oats and nuts. Mix everything together so that the syrup evenly coats everything in the bowl.
4. While it’s still warm, pour the contents of the bowl into your prepared baking dish. Using a rubber spatula, pat everything down so it’s nice and compacted. I like to place some parchment or aluminum paper over the top and really press down so that the bars don’t break apart when you eat them.
5. Let cool to room temperature. You can also put them in the fridge for a bit since this’ll make cutting easier. Cut them into square or rectangles as you please.

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