Bars That Make You Go Hmmmm...

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 599
Word Count: 744

Wednesday, June 6th

Granola bars, sports bars, candy bars and more. The market is flooded with products for weight loss, energy, extra protein, the perfect snack food and more. Are these bars worth your money and calories? For a very few bars, I would say yes. However, there are so many bars that are packed with hydrogenated oils, trans fats, sulfites, artificial colors, processed stuff, genetically modified junk, excess calories and many unpronounceable ingredients. Try to find a bar that has 220 calories or less, 3g of fiber, some protein and very little sugar. My favorite bar by far is the LaraBar. The label on these bars say that they taste so good, they make you want to hum! I have not broken out into song on the street yet, but these bars are so tasty that I sense a tune and groove coming on very soon. The best part about many of these bars is that they are only two ingredients that you can clearly pronounce. The cashew cookie bar is just cashews and dates. You can actually feel good about your snack containing real fruit and nuts. They also introduced the first all organic chocolate bar called Jocolat. They have several yummy flavors like Cinnamon Roll, Pecan Pie, Ginger Snap, Lemon Bar, Banana Cookie, Apple Pie, Pistachio and Key Lime Pie. The bars are kosher, unprocessed and uncooked (better for digestion of the fruits/nuts), soy-free and wheat-free, too!

Want to make your own home-made healthy bar? Here are two great recipes found in Health magazine:

Almond Oat Bars- Emily Luchetti, executive pastry chef at Farallon in San Francisco
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 37 minutes
12 servings

1 1/2 cups regular oats, divided
1/4 cup sliced almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup European style plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup cubed peeled Gala or Fuji apples

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. place 3/4 cup oats & almonds on baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until toasted. Place in a medium bowl.
3. IN a food processor, process remaining 3/4 cup of oats and the almond meal until fine. Add to bowl. Add wheat flour, and next 4 ingredients (through salt). Stir with a whisk to combine.
4. In a small bowl, combine the yofurt, honey and apple pieces.
5. Add the wet infredients to the dry and mix until combined. Place the mixture on a piece of wax paper. Form into a 6-by7- inch rectangle. Cut 3 by 4 making 12 rectangles. Place a piece of parchment paperon top and invert onto a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Cool on a rack. Bars can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.
1 bar: 166 calories, 4g fat, 0g cholesterol, 4g protein, 32g carbs, 20g sugars, 2g fiber, 45mg Calcium, 41mg Sodium, 1mg Iron.

Nutty Popcorn Bars - David Gaus, executive pastry chef in Washington D.C.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Cool: 30 minutes
24 servings

1 1/2 cups regular oats
1 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
12 cups popcorn (without salt or fat)
cooking spray
1 cup light brown sugar
5 tbsp honey (mild flavor)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place oats and peanuts on a baking sheet; bake for 12 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and cool oats and peanuts completely. Place popped corn in a very large heatproof bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Set aside a 15x10x1 inche jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and honey. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir with a heat-resistant spatula until the mixture comes to a boil. THen boil the mixture for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in salt and vanilla.
4. Pour hot syrup over popped ocrn and stire with spatula (sane one used above) until corn is well coated. Stir in reserved oats and peanuts, plus raisins. Spread evenly onto prepated pan. Allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
5. Turn out the cooled mixture onto a large cutting board; cut into 24 equal squares. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.
1 bar: 182 calories, 7g fat, 10mg cholesterol, 3g protein, 29g carbs, 19g sugar, 2g fiber, 20mg Calcium, 30mg sodium, 1mg Iron.

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