Chewy Granola Bars with Coconut Oil and Nuts

kirianna55

I have heard a lot about monounsaturated fats and mufas help you lose weight. In this recipe I used nuts and coconut oil.
Coconut Oil
While The Digest Diet recommends keeping saturated fat intake to under 10 percent of total calories, one source sits at the top of the “should enjoy” list: coconut oil.
Why? This sweet, rich oil was shown to do some pretty nifty things for abdominally obese women in a 2009 study out of Brazil, including decreasing their waist circumference, increasing beneficial HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and improving the ratio of “bad” LDL (low-density lipoprotein) to “good” HDL cholesterol. And in populations where coconut oil is commonly eaten, high cholesterol levels and heart disease are not common.

MUFAs
In 2006, I uncovered exciting research suggesting that monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, helped people store less belly fat. Eating a diet rich in olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, and avocado has kept my belly lean and my energy up for years! These healthy fats are a mainstay of my diet.


Granola Recipe

1 cup whole almonds

1 cup pecan halves (could use walnuts)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup unsweetened dried fruit, chopped if large (appricot, cherries, blueberries, cranberries)

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey or agave

6 Tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Add 1/2 cup each of almonds, pecans, and old fashioned oats into a food processor. Process until fine (not too long or it will start to turn into nut butter!) then pour into a large bowl. Roughly chop the remaining pecans and almonds, then add the bowl. Add remaining old fashioned oats, cherries, and sesame seeds, then mix well and set aside.

2. Combine honey, coconut oil, salt, vanilla & almond extracts, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the mixture melts, then foams, then cook for 15 seconds longer. Pour over nut mixture and mix thoroughly to coat all the ingredients.

3. Line a half sheet pan or 8×8 or 9x20 pan with enough saran wrap or parchment paper to let it hang far over the sides, then pour in granola. Press very, very firmly with your hands or something with a flat bottom (may need to spray it with non-stick spray.) Wrap the overhanging saran wrap or parchment paper up over the sides and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

4. Using a sharp knife, cut chilled granola into 32 bars. Wrap individually in saran wrap and store in the fridge or freezer.

Calories 125
Total fat 8.1 g
Saturated 2.7g
Polyunsaturated fat 0.3
Monounsatruatated fat 1.3g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 36.5mg
Potassium 92.3mg
Total Carbs 10.9
Fiber 2.4
Sugar 6.1
Protein 2.5g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0.7%
Calcium 4%
Iron 5.1%