An Energy Bar Recipe You Can't Live Without
By Alice Osborne
Recipes get passed around, and aren't we glad? I was with one of our other Cook'n authors the other day, Jeanne Wolfley, and she gave me an amazing recipe she'd found on the Prevention website. Now I want to pass it on to you, along with a few related thoughts.
So let's talk energy bars. That's the recipe Jeanne passed on to me. They are so stinkin' expensive and too often they contain high fructose corn syrup and a bunch of other junk. But if we make our own, we'll get a healthier bar for only 19¢ per serving! What a smart thing to do. Why would we pay through the nose for a box of gunky junky bars that may or may not be made of fresh and healthy ingredients? Besides saving money, when we make our own, we know for sure what's in them.
Since energy bars do not require utensils, preparation or refrigeration, people can store them in the car, gym bag or carry-on luggage for a quick snack or occasional meal replacement.
And to top that off, they are a great alternative to the traditional cookie, they freeze well, batches nicely packaged make excellent gifts, their recipes can be easily adjusted to accommodate all sorts of allergy issues, and they are simply delicious.
I do need to clarify something here: There ARE some fairly healthy energy bars out there that should be acknowledged. The Clif Bar is just such an example. They are made with mostly organic, natural, whole food ingredients. You don't need a dictionary to decode what is in them. But here again, the price is an issue. I was able to find an 18 pack box for $10.44. Are you kidding me?
Then there's the Larabar. According to one reviewer, these taste fanastic as well as meeting the profile for a great walking snack: Most of the Larabar flavors don't have coatings that will melt and make a mess when you take them out of your hot pack to have an energy snack while walking. They also have a texture that is easy to bite and chew, but also doesn't crumble and make a mess. They have a short ingredient list of raw whole foods. You don't need a chemistry degree to understand what you are eating. For people with sensitivities, they don't have gluten, soy, or dairy. This is all good news, but the price? This'll kill ya: They range anywhere from $16 to $22 for a box of 16! The average cost of a single bar is $1.39. No thanks.
Many reviewers felt the Balanced Gold Bar was the tastiest of all. This energy bar, specifically the Caramel Nut Blast, is a good substitute for a Snickers bar, with slightly lower calories - 210, with 7 grams of fat, 15 grams protein, and 23 grams carbohydrate for a 40-30-30 proportion. The drawback? The chocolate coating will melt. But I would just lick it off the wrapper. Oh, yeah, it has vitamins and stuff, too. 6 bars for $6.29 is still too much I think.
PowerBar's Harvest label is very tasty, easy to chew, and features about 240 calories per bar with 45 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams protein, 4.5 grams fat, and lots of vitamins and minerals. The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor is perfect to pack along - no coating to melt and it is delicious. However, once again, do you really want to pay over $17 for a box of 15?
Finally, the Honey Stinger Protein Bar. Here's what their ad copy says: Honey Stinger Protein Bars are made with 30% organic ingredients - 100% organic honey. They contain 20 g of Whey protein, 23 vitamins and minerals. There are no trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils. Honey Stinger Protein Bars are made with gluten free ingredients. They come in 3 exciting flavors: Peanut Butta Pro, Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond, or Dark Chocolate Coconut Almond. I'd be sold except for the price - get this: $21.95 for 12 bars.
Boy, am I glad we pass recipes around! And I hope you'll be glad about this one especially. A healthy energy bar for 19¢ - now that's not just smart snacking, that's smart spending! And I've tweaked this recipe somewhat so it can be named in honor of our dear friend who's sharing it with us:
Jeanne's Energy Bar
Makes 18 Bars
1 C rolled oats
1 C bran flakes
3/4 C raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 C dried fruit, coarsely chopped (dates, raisins, craisins, apricots, etc.)
2 Tbsp whole grain flour (whole wheat, millet, rice, etc.)
3/4 C second dried fruit (apples, blueberries, cherries, etc.)
3/4 C *raw honey
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt (any salt will work, but Himalayan is preferred for its minerals and absence of fillers)
2 lg egg whites
3/4 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan with foil. Oil and flour the foil. (An 8-inch by 8-inch pan can be used. Just bake 5 to 10 additional minutes.)
Mix cereals, nuts, fruit, flour, and anything extra you might want to include (sesame seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, wheat germ, etc.) in a large bowl. Combine honey and salt in small bowl. Whisk in egg whites and extract. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and stir well to coat all ingredients. If this seems a little dry, add more honey until ingredients stick together.
Pat into prepared pan with moist hands or plastic gloved hands. Bake until bars are dry to the touch, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on ingredients used. Cool completely then cut and individually wrap bars.
* Raw honey recommendation: Really Raw. MotherNature.com has it on sale. Otherwise, it can be found in most natural food stores.
