Hello shiny people! I hope you are well and healthy!
I recently posted on how to make our own almond milk. The left over almond pulps can be kept for many purposes. They can be made into almond meal, almond flour, can be added to cereals, shakes etc. They can also be frozen until further use.
As I made more milk this week, I ended up with so much pulps I wanted to use them into something simple and fun, such as granola bars.
Honestly, I do not eat granola bars due to their high sugar content – you will soon be informed as to why as I break down the ingredients in the mostly common store bought granola bars.
Since homemaking a lot of my snacks, allowing to control the quantity & quality of the ingredients, I have dared crossing the granola line.
But first things first, take a look at the store bought bars that are so called healthy or low in fat. Comparison chart courtesy of Eat Spin Run Repeat blog in which nasty ingredients were already highlighted in yellow. I additionally highlighted in red what are and can be detrimental to your body in the long run, even in low consumption. Click on the image to read the ingredients.
What to watch for:
– soy lecithin: top 10 ingredient found in all processed food. it is an emulsifier extracted mechanically or chemically using hexane from soybeans. Its job is to bind things together. If you are concerned about GMOs, soybeans have been genetically modified, unless they are marked “non-GMO” or” USDA organic”, but even so, they have been found to occasionally contain GMOs and the “organic” labeling is not as strict as we would like it to be. Instead of soy lecithin look for sunflower lecithin, which can be obtained raw and chemical-free.
I am trying to avoid anything with soy generally due to its hormonal disruption properties.
– carrageenan : this is another “natural” food additive that can make us sick and contains MSG. It can cause inflammation of GI system and is carcinogenic . If interested, read up on this scientific report.
– propylene glycol: found in antifreeze. It comes in several grades for variety of use: airplance de-icers, paints, enamles, varnishes, in solvent, surfactant, condoms and food.
– guar gum: it can obstruct GI and increase colon cancer.
– malt, maltose, dextose, syrup, evaporated cane juice, juice molasses etc: they all are disguised & processed sugar.
– added or artificial color
– all the chemicals and words that cannot be pronounced
– the numbers of time “sugar”, “salt” , any type of oil, are listed
– the word “modified” anywhere in the list
I was so overwhelmed that I may have forgotten some others. The bottom line is, there should not be an exhausted list of ingredients. I hope this post has been informative, motivating you in taking control of your own snacks. Although homemade granola bars are still high in [natural] sugar content , this is the perfect energy boost for pre/post workouts or runs!
Here are easy steps to create your own bars. Store in a airtight container, they will last for days.
1. mix an assortment of raw* (click to read my post on raw labeled) unsalted nuts (sunflower, flaxseed, almond, pumpkin) & unsweetened dried fruits
2. for more protein, opt to mix in some natural unsalted peanut butter
3. line a baking dish with parchment paper, and transfer mixture to the dish
4. directly pour atop honey or agave nectar sweetener as to soak & coat the dish. Alternatively you can make your own jam and use it as the binding agent. I have made a very tangy fig jam, very harmonious to this bar. The jam is made by boiling down fresh fig + lemon juice + lemon zest + water + grated ginger + a hint of agave
5. to lessen the sugar content, opt to use mashed banana + unsweetened applesauce instead of honey or agave. Mix the banana/applesauce with the nut mixture prior to transferring onto the baking dish.
6. bake for about 30 mn at 350 F.
Be informed & in control of what you put in your body. Your body, your temple.
Fit, Food & Fun 