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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

80--- Quaker Who? Granola Bars


Quaker Chewy Granola Bars contain sugar as their second ingredient, and partially hydrogenated oil (aka: TRANS FAT) as their fourth ingredient.
Granola bars are so easy to make-- without that "stuff". Add ingredients to your liking! The recipe below is for a chocolate-covered cherry granola bar.

Quaker Who? Granola Bars
Makes 20 bars

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
14 oz canned light sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add condensed milk and stir until dry ingredients become sticky (I used my hands to finish this process).

Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray. Scoop oat mixture into dish. Spray a flat spatula with cooking spray and press oats flat into dish.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until edges are slightly browned. This will produce a dense, slightly chewy bar.

Allow to cool for ~5 minutes. Using a table knife, gently cut bars into 1"x 4" pieces. Gently slide knife around border of bars to release from dish. Allow to cool in dish for ~20 minutes prior to removing bars. Wrap each individual bar in plastic wrap for storage.

Nutrition Info per 1 bar: 158 calories, 6 g fat, 4 g protein, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber

9 comments:

  1. LOVE your blog! Good thing for Tasty Kitchen or I may not have ever found you. It's funny cause a few months ago I was considering a similar title to switch my blog to, but have decided to go another way with it. Great job! So, as a dietician, what's your take on the whole glycemic load/ index and/or The Zone as a guideline for eating? I buy into most of what I read about it, but there's just something about "good carbs" from grains that I can't let go of!

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  2. I think that the glycemic index has it's place, but mainly in the diabetes realm. I use the glycemic load when working with athletes, but otherwise I typically just promote whole grains and fruit as the major sources of carbohydrates in your diet! If you eat a variety of grains life is so much more exciting and you get the benefit of a wide variety of nutrients! Whole grains also make you feel full, which is very helpful in our world of over-abundance!

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  3. Thanks for the response! I had my hubby read it because he is a major Crossfitter (don't know if you're aware of what Crossfit is) and was interested to know why you use the glycemic load primarily for athletes, since he is one.

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  4. The glycemic load is important for athletes when thinking about recovery. The post-workout meal should include some foods with a higher glycemic load within 1-2 hours post-exercise for optimum glycogen storage by muscles. This is something that I typically recommend for endurance athletes, but it can be important for the recovery of power athletes, which your Crossfitter hubby is!

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  5. Hey, thanks for all the great info!

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  6. Thanks for this recipe! I am trying to improve my kids' diets and being able to make something like this homemade is awesome! I appreciate this site and am happy for Tasty Kitchen sharing it!

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  7. I am leaving a comment on my husband's account. I have a quick question about this yummy-looking recipe. I am allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Is it possible to omit the almonds in this bar? Should I replace them with something else or just leave them out all together?
    Kristen

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  8. You can totally omit the nuts! Just replace them with equal parts oats so that the dry ingredient content remains the same.

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  9. Quick question: do you know of a good substitute for the condensed milk? I'm lactose intolerant, but I've been looking for a good granola recipe without a lot of oils or syrup. Thanks!

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