Healthy Forkful

Recetas nutritivas y deliciosas

Healthy Granola Bars

enes

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
I believe the most important thing to follow a healthy diet is to be prepared.
Stay away from tempted processed food, pack your house with fresh and natural wholefoods and will be easier to stay strong in front of temptations.
Ok, you may be thinking this can be easy to do at home, but what happen when you are on the street, in between meals and feeling starving? Most people tent to go for the first thing they find at the grocery cashier, counter delis, bending machines… And we all know these are usually chocolate bars, bags of crisps, nachos, popcorn, packed sandwiches, granola bars, candies …. nothing very natural or fresh.
Well I keep saying, the key is to be prepared!!
Bring always a bottle of water with you and some healthy snacks as fresh fruit, natural nuts or homemade nutritious treats.
I used to lie to myself and said ok, I won’t bring anything with me so I won’t eat between meals and I will get the bonus of losing some weight… Well, this never happened, I always ended up buying and eating something no so healthy or arriving dieing at lunch time and devouring everything in 5 minutes.
After years of observing to myself, I’ve found out what works for me is snacking between meals, this way I don’t get to lunch or dinner starving. And about controlling what I snack, in my bag you will always find a bottle of water and some fruit or homemade treat, like the healthy granola bars I bring you today!
Healthy-granola-bars
One of the things I believe people struggle more is finding healthy snack options. You can find snacky things everywhere, at the grocery cashier, at the delies, at the quiosk, vending machines nearly at every corner or official buildings. The problem is that those options are usually chocolate bars, bags of crisps, nachos, popcorn, packed sandwiches, granola bars, candies …. nothing very natural or fresh.

These healthy granola bars are easy to have on the go, to eat them in front of your desk or at the comfort of your sofa. They are customizable, you could go for a xmasy flavours using lots of spices or use dry mango or pineapple if you prefer something fresher and more exotic. And of course they are a good fun for weekend prep, yes, make them over the weekend and you will have healthy treat all week!!

I would love to hear if you try this recipe, so please tag a photo #healthyforkful on Instagram or leave a comment below and let me know how it goes!

Print
Healthy Granola Bars
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Course: Snack, Sweet Treat
Servings: 10 bars
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds or 1 egg white
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 100 g rolled oats certified gf if you are celiac
  • 75 g buckwheat groats raw
  • 25 g dehidrated coconut
  • 50 g hazelnuts chopped
  • 60 g raisins dried pineapple, mango, banana...
  • 30 ml coconut oil
  • 40 ml honey maple, agave or malt rice syrup work as well
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 vanilla bean opened and scraped
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mixed spices optional
Decoration
  • 20 g dark chocolate 70% or more
Instructions

  1. Combine chia seeds and water in a small bowl and reserve.

  2. In a big bowl, mix oats, buckwheat, coconut and hazelnut. Spread in a baking sheet and bake at 150ºC for 15 minutes, stiring from time to time. Remove from the oven and let cool.

  3. In a small saucepan melt coconut oil, vanilla bean seeds and honey.

    Blend the banana in a food processor with honey and oil mixture. Add in chia seeds (or egg white if using) and process just to combine.

  4. Put the toasted oat mix in a big bowl with sultanas and spices if using. Pour in the liquid and stir well to combine.

  5. Cover a baking pan (23*18cm aprox) with parchment paper. Spread mixture in the pan and press down firmly with a spatula so it get compact.

    Bake for 25 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let it cool.

  6. Melt chocolate and drizzle over the cool granola tray. Let the chocolate set.

    Cut in 10 slice or more if you prefer bite sizes. Store in a airtight container in the fridge.