healthy granola bars

amnaimon

I get overwhelmed with so many options whenever i go to shop for granola bars. Can you please help me choose healthy ones?Which one do u like the most?
Thanks

MikeSEA

I think you're going to get a lot of varying opinions on what constitutes "healthy."

I'm guessing for many people, it boils down to how simple the ingredients are. I don't really eat them often, so I can't suggest any brands. I know lots of people make them themselves on the weekend and just take them during the week or store them. Perhaps someone has a good recipe.

JLervold86

I like the Kashi honey almond flax ones--whole grains, natural sugar (but still only 7 grams, so I can budget it in), healthy fats, and a decent size so I don't finish and say "hmm what's next?" LOL

groomchick

No such thing....if your looking for healthy try the atkins anvantage bars.

dls06

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned oats


1/4 cup wheat germ


1/4 cup whole almonds


1/4 cup pumpkin seeds


1/4 cup flaked coconut (unprocessed)


1/3 cup maple syrup


1/4 cup apple juice concentrate


1 teaspoon cinnamon


1 teaspoon vanilla


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/2 cup dried fruit





Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300° F.



2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the dried fruit and toss well. Spread on large cookie sheet and bake 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Stir in dried fruit.



Makes 6 servings (approx 5/8 cups each.)

mynameisl

Fiber One bars are pretty good in my opinion. Plus they're low in calories and taste great so it's a win-win.

slvheart

If you pick up Women Health this month they give a complete low down on health bars.

kimtpa1417

I love kashi...... They can be pricey but my local grocery will have them on sale and I stock up. The pumpkin flax is good and for a treat I have the chocolate coconut. Very filling and I am satisfied with 1.

dls06

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh grated is best
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup golden raisin
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
1Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients except dried fruit in a large bowl and toss till well distributed and coated.2Spread on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip and toss granola and then bake 15 minutes more, tossing it once again in the middle of the 15 minutes.3Cool completely on baking sheet, add the dried fruit and store. In an airtight container in a dark pantry, mine lasts at least 6 weeks.Print This Recipe

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-granola-lowfat-453610#ixzz1bGuc4wgE

dls06

Ingredients
8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, about 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, about 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, about 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, about 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, about 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, about 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries
Directions
Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

it_be_asin

I agree with the no such thing as a healthy muesli bar sentiment. They just have too much sugar to be healthy. And if I want to eat something that sugary, I'd rather eat a proper chocolate bar and enjoy it; rather than pretend I am being healthy and not really enjoy it.

amnaimon

thanks everyone especially dls06 for the recipes, i sure will try them

ms99pepper

i think there are a lot of good options out there, but it depends on where you shop, how much you want to spend etc. the key is to look for bars that contain:
*whole grains as the 1st ingredient
*less than 180cals, 5grams of fat, and 8grams of sugar
*at least 5grams of fiber (and if the 1st ingredient is whole grains/oats that shouldn’t be a problem)
if you can get those covered i'd say that a pretty healthy bar