Honest criticism of a recipe please...

dixoncrew
dixoncrew Posts: 186 Member
in Recipes
I make these banana oat bars for my kids all the time and I am loving them, they are so yummy. Are they really that healthy though? Here's the recipe:

1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp. light olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed, ripe banana
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut.



They are ridiculously good. There is nothing in the recipe that stands out to me as being unhealthy but what do you all think? Thanks :)

Replies

  • aznsdgrl
    aznsdgrl Posts: 110 Member
    Have you entered the recipe into the food section? That will give you a breakdown of calories, fat, etc. . .
  • JeneticTraining
    JeneticTraining Posts: 663 Member
    I'm not sure if the egg is necessary. But, everything else looks good
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    If you were to make 10 bars@43g per bar - 158 calories. Fat:7.3g Sat fat: 3.2g Cholesterol:16mg Sodium:129mg Carbs: 20.9g Fiber: 1.1g Sugars: 7.3g Protein: 3g Iron: 2%

    They are your children. Have a look at the above estimations and draw your own conclusion. :)
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Healthy and low calories are NOT the same, folks.

    These look healthy to me! You could easily replace some of the honey with some natural nut butters for healthy fats, and less sugar. I agree that the egg is probably unnecessary, as is the oil. I'd replace it all with good nutty fats for both flavour and consistency.

    There are tons of recipes out there to check. You could also replace the coconut with other dried fruits, or even choc chips (which yes, can be healthy in moderation) or seeds.

    Here's another base recipe you could use for inspiration. Just make some changes here an there and see what happens. I've added applesauce, pureed pumpkin, cocoa powder, protein powder, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, fresh fruit, etc to mine and it's just all about experimenting! Good luck :smile:
    http://ohsheglows.com/2012/01/20/on-the-glow-basic-oatmeal-squares/
  • 777Gemma888
    777Gemma888 Posts: 9,578 Member
    Healthy and low calories are NOT the same, folks.

    Agree^.
  • erinpd
    erinpd Posts: 96
    Repeating that healthy and low calorie are not the same thing....

    Also, there's a lot of good stuff in there. Taking out the fat (oil) or sweet (honey) might really change the flavor, meaning little ones might not like the taste of them anymore. And at that point, it doesn't matter if the bars are healthy if they won't eat them! :wink:
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    They look pretty good to me, and leave the egg in there, as there is an incredible amount of nutrition in eggs. Children burn through the calories anyway if they're active, so I'd also leave the honey in there.

    Just my two cents, but you can over do the "healthy" thing with kids. It's about portion control and moderation, not completely ripping away normal cakes and ice cream from childhood. If your kids are active the way kids should be, then they will be fine and the last thing you want to do is make their diet so strict that they rebel.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    They sound delicious and have a lot of good things in them.
  • sunnyskys2013
    sunnyskys2013 Posts: 159 Member
    can you post the bake temp and time i want to make some for my kids. Thanks :smile:
  • kidzerrn
    kidzerrn Posts: 15 Member
    I agree with you sunsnstathear
  • dixoncrew
    dixoncrew Posts: 186 Member
    can you post the bake temp and time i want to make some for my kids. Thanks :smile:

    350 in an 8x8 pan for 25-30 minutes ;)
  • katerinajulia
    katerinajulia Posts: 89 Member
    As a suggestion to anyone who bakes - butter or oil can be substituted with the same amount of APPLESAUCE.
    A lot of the time I actually find that the end result tastes better to be honest.
  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Great snack.

    Its always nice to see real food.
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    They look pretty good to me, and leave the egg in there, as there is an incredible amount of nutrition in eggs. Children burn through the calories anyway if they're active, so I'd also leave the honey in there.

    Just my two cents, but you can over do the "healthy" thing with kids. It's about portion control and moderation, not completely ripping away normal cakes and ice cream from childhood. If your kids are active the way kids should be, then they will be fine and the last thing you want to do is make their diet so strict that they rebel.

    I agree with this^^^. And eggs make it better!
  • katerinajulia
    katerinajulia Posts: 89 Member

    Just my two cents, but you can over do the "healthy" thing with kids. It's about portion control and moderation, not completely ripping away normal cakes and ice cream from childhood. If your kids are active the way kids should be, then they will be fine and the last thing you want to do is make their diet so strict that they rebel.

    ABSOLUTELY agreed. This happened to me.
  • teener35
    teener35 Posts: 4
    I totally agree about using the applesauce for a replacement for the oil. I have used it in a bunch of different things as an alternative and it works great;-) Other than that, it looks delicious;-)
  • babymaddux
    babymaddux Posts: 209 Member
    they look really good!
  • dixoncrew
    dixoncrew Posts: 186 Member
    They look pretty good to me, and leave the egg in there, as there is an incredible amount of nutrition in eggs. Children burn through the calories anyway if they're active, so I'd also leave the honey in there.

    Just my two cents, but you can over do the "healthy" thing with kids. It's about portion control and moderation, not completely ripping away normal cakes and ice cream from childhood. If your kids are active the way kids should be, then they will be fine and the last thing you want to do is make their diet so strict that they rebel.

    Oh, I totally agree. They get a wide variety of foods, sweets included. We don't buy anything with HFCS, MSG, or stuff loaded with crap though.
  • sunnyskys2013
    sunnyskys2013 Posts: 159 Member
    can you post the bake temp and time i want to make some for my kids. Thanks :smile:

    350 in an 8x8 pan for 25-30 minutes ;)

    Thanks :smile:
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    They look pretty good to me, and leave the egg in there, as there is an incredible amount of nutrition in eggs. Children burn through the calories anyway if they're active, so I'd also leave the honey in there.

    Just my two cents, but you can over do the "healthy" thing with kids. It's about portion control and moderation, not completely ripping away normal cakes and ice cream from childhood. If your kids are active the way kids should be, then they will be fine and the last thing you want to do is make their diet so strict that they rebel.

    Oh, I totally agree. They get a wide variety of foods, sweets included. We don't buy anything with HFCS, MSG, or stuff loaded with crap though.

    Cheers! We're very similar. I just always feel sorry for "that kid" at birthday parties who's parents won't let her/him have the cookies, ice cream and cake that all the other kids are allowed to enjoy. I'd much rather give my kid an extra 30 minutes in the pool or playground to run off the sugar than to deprive them of those special occasion experiences and of fitting in with the other kids.

    And for the record, leave that olive oil in there too. Kids need the fats anyway, and those bars look fantastic the way you have them!
  • TaminaShock
    TaminaShock Posts: 191 Member
    Looks great nothing wrong with it leave in the egg. Helps in the baking process. Eggs are good for you
  • Jellif1sh
    Jellif1sh Posts: 27 Member
    Looks like a good recipe to me, but that is on the understanding these are a treat and not meal replacement.

    One suggestion: you might want to consider adding walnuts or almonds to the mix just to sneak in a little more nutrition.
  • sunnyskys2013
    sunnyskys2013 Posts: 159 Member
    They look pretty good to me, and leave the egg in there, as there is an incredible amount of nutrition in eggs. Children burn through the calories anyway if they're active, so I'd also leave the honey in there.

    Just my two cents, but you can over do the "healthy" thing with kids. It's about portion control and moderation, not completely ripping away normal cakes and ice cream from childhood. If your kids are active the way kids should be, then they will be fine and the last thing you want to do is make their diet so strict that they rebel.

    Oh, I totally agree. They get a wide variety of foods, sweets included. We don't buy anything with HFCS, MSG, or stuff loaded with crap though.

    Cheers! We're very similar. I just always feel sorry for "that kid" at birthday parties who's parents won't let her/him have the cookies, ice cream and cake that all the other kids are allowed to enjoy. I'd much rather give my kid an extra 30 minutes in the pool or playground to run off the sugar than to deprive them of those special occasion experiences and of fitting in with the other kids.

    And for the record, leave that olive oil in there too. Kids need the fats anyway, and those bars look fantastic the way you have them!

    In some cases like ours is not that i don't want my kids eating sugar. Its just how it has to be, like my kids can't have Gluten, two can't have red die and one can't have eggs. but i always find out a head of time what they are having so i can make something for them, they can have so they are not left out.

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