Healthy Energy Boosting Bars

So, it is February 10th, how did that happen? This means Spring and Summer will be here before we know it. I am in full swing with my diet (I hate that word diet) so rather, healthy lifestyle. Of course, I want to look fit in my bikini this Summer but I also want to feel healthy and vibrant. This comes with a lot of prepping and cooking your own meals, even replacement meals and snacks such as these little homemade energy bars.

 I have found that I no longer trust the ingredients of similar snacks, personally, there are far too many ingredients I cannot pronounce or identify. Why would I want to put that into my body?Exactly and you shouldn't either! I am also a do-it-yourself kind of girl, if I find something I like I find a way to make it myself. These bars are so simple to make and they are filled with all natural ingredients (ones you are familiar with) and come together so quickly. The cool thing about this is you can pretty much use whatever items you already have in your pantry and have a little fun playing around with the ingredients. 

For this series, I will discuss two different meal bars. One is a blueberry and flaxseed breakfast bar and the second one is a fully packed nutty energy boosting bar. I encourage you to make them both at home! 

Blueberry and Flaxseed Breakfast Bar

what you'll need:
3 cups fresh blueberries 
1⁄4 cup all natural cane sugar
3 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp water
For the whole-grain crust:
1 1⁄2 cup rolled oats
3⁄4 cup Flaxseed meal
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1⁄4 cup raw sesame seeds
1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
3⁄4 tsp baking powder
1 large egg, beaten
6 Tbsp coconut oil 
3 to 4 Tbsps ice water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with coconut oil.

2. To prepare the filling: In a saucepan, combine the berries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer. Continue stirring until berries just begin to break down and the sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

haha just a little Willy Wonka humor ;) but seriously look at that gorgeous violet color the blueberries turn into! YUM!!! 

3. To prepare the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the rolled oats, flaxseed meal and sesame seeds until they form a mealy texture. Add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder, and pulse to combine. Add the egg and coconut oil and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of large crumbs.

 I made the mistake of using my nutribullet -  I should have realized it was too small to contain all the ingredients needed to be processed. I pulsed anyway and took the remainder of my ingredients into a large bowl where I worked it all up with my bare hands - this worked just fine. So if you do not have a food processor you can also use this method. So sorry the mixture does not look so appealing in that picture below. I promise it is DELISH!

4. To assemble and bake the bars: Press about half of the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Pour the berry filling onto the crust and spread evenly. Scatter the remaining crust mixture across the top —messy and random, but evenly dispersed. Don’t worry about pressing down; it will bake into the bars very nicely. This is very similar to a crumble pie. 

5. Bake until the top crumble is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan. Slice into bars. If wrapped and kept at room temperature, the bars will keep for three- four days. I suggest keeping them in an air tight container and refrigerating them - they will last much longer this way. 

This recipe makes approximately 14 pieces and weighs in at around 260 calories per serving. This is the perfect addition to a handful of fresh berries and fresh cup of coffee for breakfast ;)

Nut & Seed Energy Bar

what you'll need: 
1 cup almonds
½ cup walnuts
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
⅓ cup dried cranberries
⅓  dark chocolate chips
⅔ cup sunflower seeds
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
3 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp orange zest
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
½ cup honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and grease it with coconut oil.
2. Roughly chop the nuts, then mix together all ingredients except for the coconut oil and honey in a large bowl. Don't laugh, I used a salad chopper. I think it was genius because I had full control of how chopped I wanted my nuts. I prefer the nuts to be a little more whole, so you get a nice nutty bite here and there. 

    3.    Separately mix together the oil and honey, then pour over the nut/seed mixture, and stir until           
            everything is evenly coated.
    4.    Pour into the parchment lined cookie sheet and spread into an even layer with a spatula.   
           Bake for 15-20 minutes.

     5.    Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes, then lift up gently using the parchment 
            paper, and place in the fridge for another 20 minutes to harden. Once solid, remove from the
            fridge and slice into bars of your desired size (it’s easiest if you use a nice big, sharp knife).
     6.    To store, wrap them in parchment paper separately (so that they don’t stick together), and 
            keep in an airtight container. 

Enjoy with breakfast or on its own as a snack. Eat between meals and you will curb your appetite and regain a lot of energy for your day!