Due to their many benefits, such as lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, oats have gained considerable attention as a health food (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4). They’re most commonly rolled or crushed and can be consumed as oatmeal (porridge) or used in baked goods, bread, muesli, and granola, as previously noted. Here Joanne Washburn, Food.news, reflects on healthy homemade granola bars:

“Granola bars are popular grab-and-go snacks that are often made with oats, dried fruits and seeds. You can get them from convenience stores and supermarkets, but it’s better to make your own so you can choose what goes in them.

Though seemingly healthy, store-bought granola bars are often highly processed and contain loads of added sugar and other artificial ingredients, such as food coloring and preservatives. These ingredients can negatively impact your health. They are also very high in calories but very low in nutrients.

When you make your own granola bars, you get to select the ingredients you want. This way, you won’t have to worry about your granola bars being bad for your health or your weight. Plus, you can easily make large batches of granola bars ahead of time and cut them whichever way you prefer for easier storage.

Here are four healthy granola bar recipes you can try.

Granola bar with rolled oats

These granola bars are incredibly filling thanks to fiber-rich rolled oats. They taste just as good as store-bought ones too, minus the added sugar and other artificial ingredients. If kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, these granola bars will keep for about a week. You can also freeze them for long-term storage.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped nuts of your choice
• 1 cup dates, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup organic nut butter of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan and set it aside.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool before slicing.”

Read More … Article Source: https://www.food.news/2021-12-04-recipes-for-healthy-granola-bars.html

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