The Barn Bar!

We learned during a Supermarket Spy Kid shopping trip that popular brands of granola bars have lots of strange-sounding ingredients that kids had never heard of (and couldn’t pronounce) so we set out to make our own creation using whole grains.  Our delicious Barn Bar in Appetite for Life is high in heart healthy fats and fiber, and contains easy to read ingredients.  Parents like this simple to make hunger-buster for any time of day, but it’s especially good as a morning school snack.

Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup ground flaxseeds
1/3 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup raisins
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup canola oil

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 325°F.  Line 13” x 9” metal baking pan with foil, extending ends of foil 2 inches over short sides of pan.  Grease foil.

2.    In large bowl, combine oats, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, and sugar.  Stir in egg, maple syrup, and oil until well mixed.  Transfer mixture to prepared pan and with wet hand, press into an even layer.

3.    Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool in pan on wire rack.

4.    Once cool, use foil to transfer to cutting board. With serrated knife, cut lengthwise into 8 strips, then cut each strip crosswise in half to make 16 bars.  Enjoy right away or store in airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days, or freeze up to 1 month.

Makes 16 servings (1 granola bar per serving).

Nutrition Facts per serving: 190 calories; 11g fat (1g sat fat, 5g mono, 4g poly, 0g trans fats); 15mg cholesterol; 20g carbohydrate (3g fiber, 10g sugar); 4g protein; 10mg sodium; 4% Daily Value (DV) calcium; 6% DV iron.

Do you buy granola bars for your family?  What is your go-to brand?

– Stacey Antine, MS, RD, author, Appetite for Life, founder, HealthBarn USA, co-host, Family Food Expert Internet Radio Show, and recognized as top 10 dietitians nationally by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her work with HealthBarn USA.