does anyone have healthy snack bar recipes?

[WiseBird]

I'm looking for recipes for healthy snack bars, like a flapjack, with oats but fat free and with no added sugar (the sugar content will come only from the added fruits).

I have been doing some research and have found that the fat can be replaced with fruit puree, so if anyone does have a recipe or two, it will save a lot of experimenting!

My local bakery has a tasty looking bar - but I don't think they'll give me the recipe

If not, I'll do some trials and post the recipe I come up with if anyone else is interested

Donna

[Clara]

Sure do......

Dry ingredients:

150g (5oz) oats
2tbsp desicated coconut
2tbsp chopped or ground pumpkin seeds (or other seed or nut)
1tbsp flaxseed (linseed)

Wet ingredients:

3tbsp honey
5tbsp oil

or

2tbsp honey
2tbsp molasses
4tbsp oil

Mix dry ingredients, add wet and mix well.
Press into suitable size GREASED tin, compress well.
Bake for 25-30 mins at 350F/180C.

I personally prefer the molasses variety, it was my own adjustment to the recipe. If you don´t actually have any health issues with sugar (like diabetes) it is packed with minerals, much more so than honey, I´d recommend giving it a go.

Clara x

[Clara]

Oh bum, just noticed you said "fat free" - well due to the oil content they won´t be but you can use any oil you like (I use EV Olive because it´s local) so you can choose one that has very healthful properties.....not all fats are created equal!

[WiseBird]

thanks for this Clara!

I can try the fruit puree substitute for the oil (or at least a major part of it) but I should have mentioned that i would like it to be sugar free as my hubby is diabetic...luckily he doesn't have too much of a sweet tooth so he shouldn't notice the lack of sugar... It must be possible to create a fat and sugar free version...as I said my local bakery has done it..I will not be defeated !!!

[ocailleagh]

I understand the need for sugar free, but why fat free? Is it simply to beat the bakers?

[WiseBird]

its a calorie thing, thats all! (1 stone gone, 2 to go, then I'll be back to my ideal weight )

It was seeing them in the bakers that started me thinking about making them this way and as it is my aim to make as much as possible at home, I wanted to give it a try.

Hubby doesn't have much of a sweet tooth by I do...and I need a small treat now and then so I wanted to make it as healthy and low calorie as possible...this seems a good choice as i absolutely love anything with oats in.

[Clara]

Problem is in the shops "sugar-free" usually means that they use artificial sweetners which are BAD, links to cancer etc. Perhaps you could use rice syrup or malt, don´t know much about diabetes would they be ok?

In my recipe the wet ingredients total 8tbsp, you will need that amount to make it work, though I´m not sure that substituting fruit puree for oil will work as it will probably make it brittle(?), be glad to hear how it goes if you try it though. Could you use sunflower oil, its low in polyunsaturates.

I just dug this out too, though sadly I don´t have a freezer to make them now, they were yummy though.....

Carob fudge delight

1 1/4 cup pitted dates
3/4 cup soaked raisins
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups soaked brazils
1 cup water
4 tbsp carob powder

Blend dates, raisins, carob, brazils and water. Mix in seeds and walnut pieces. Spread on to try and freeze to set. Cut into squares.

Or about this crumble topping, I no longer make traditional fatty sweet crumble now, this is much nicer ....

2oz flour
1oz oats
1oz ground almonds (I use whatever nuts I have)
2 - 3 tbsp hot honey

Mix together ingredients with a spoon, you will get clumps rather than a homogenous texture (though if you put it in a food processor you´ll get a sort of pastry which you can use as a base for cakes)

[ocailleagh]

Ah, well in that case, avoiding fat is one of the worst things you can do. Generally speaking, its sugar that causes weight gain, not fat. This is a recipe from the Food Doctor. I've not tried it though...

Apricot and oat fingers.

7 dried apricots, plus just enough mint tea to cover them.
40g/2oz rolled oats.
50ml/2 fl oz mint tea (reserved).
30g/1oz coarsely ground mixed nuts.


Soak the apricots in enough boiling mint tea to cover them generously and leave for 3 hours til soft, or simmer very gently for half an hour.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.

Lift the apricots from the tea and puree in food processor. Put the oats in a saucepan, add the pureed apricots and pour in the reserved mint tea and the nuts. Mix well and cook over a low heat for a few minutes.

Oil a baking sheet and press the mixture onto it, not too thickly, then bake for 20 minutes. If the top is not as brown as you would like, brush the top with oil and place under a hot grill for a few minutes, until a deeper colour is achieved. Cut into slim fingers and serve. This recipe serves two, and a dip of 2 tablespoons of fromage frais mixed with the flesh of a passionfruit is given as well.

[ina]

Mint and apricot? Not a combination I would ever have thought of - but it sounds interesting... Must try.

And as to losing weight - I can recommend a season in the lambing. For the past few weeks I've been eating even more than I liked, and still lost weight. At least a packet of biscuits every night, plus chocs, liquorice, any other junk, just to keep me awake through the long hours, and to give me energy for the hard work... The danger is now that it's getting back to normal.

[WiseBird]

thats excellent! thanks ocailleagh...the mint tea certainly sounds as though it will give an interesting flavour..i'll give it a go and see what happens

and Clara's recipes sound pretty nice too...plenty to be getting on with! You know how it is when you need to lose weight, everything thats bad for you seems to leap off the shelves into your shopping basket given half a chance, but I really do not like the way they make all of these so called 'weight-loss' products, and I do like a little nibble now and then

Luckily ( ) chocolate gives me headaches so I have had to give that up.

thanks again for your input

Donna

[ocailleagh]

Yeah, the mint thing sounds well weird to me! Still, odd combinations often work. I don't like dried apricots (or any dried fruits really) so thats mostly why I've not tried this.
I really recommend getting a couple of Food Doctor books if you're finding it tricky, especially the Ultimate Food Doctor, and the Food Doctor Everyday Diet. The UFD is an omnibus edition of a few of his previous books (including the Food Doctor Everyday Cookbook, companion to the FDED book) and contains a 7-day plan and a 30-day plan, the idea being that you then go on to follow his principles thereafter. Its mostly to do with GI and blood sugar levels, that kinda thing, but IMO is far better than the more well known GI diet. Once you get into the swing of it, its pretty easy to follow and keep to as well.

[WiseBird]

hello everyone!

Now, I know I posted this originaly in 2008 but it has taken all of this time to come up with the recipe as seen in my local healthy bakery (Leakers in Bridport).

Finally I have the recipe for their health bars 'no added sugar or fat'...and they are delicious!

I actually found the recipe here http://www.phoenixbakery.co.uk/Content/ ... tion=print...Aiden Chapman was a baker at Leakers...

The recipe is for a large quantity but I just cut it down to a third (1 banana etc and I have also replaced the millet with oatmeal) and used a swiss roll tin lined with one of those magic non-stick sheets.

Hope you like it!

Donna x

PS - I do like to add extra cranberries!

[JillStephens7]

You did it!

I missed this post first time round but here's one you might like?

Fruit & Nut Bars

2 oz each of apricots, dates, figs, sultanas, sunflower seeds & hazelnuts.
4 oz porridge oats, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, 1tbsn concentrated apple juice.
Finely chop fruit & nuts, mix all together, press into 7" x 7" tin and bake for 15 mins at 180C, cut while still warm.

I'll see if I come accross anything else, I think I have more somewhere .

I think Sarah Brown's healthy living cookbook is still pretty good for this sort of thing. I got mine in a charity shop and often see copies - the clothes & make up are very eighties but the recipes are good

[WiseBird]

oooh, that looks good too...and so simple...I'll give it a try.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for this cookbook, I have many (hundreds!) already but there is always room for one more!

[JillStephens7]

I think the book is brill.
Has a great reference section with protein, fat, fibre, b vitamin etc. content per 100g for loads of foods I actually eat.
Also a good and a techniques section on how to make tofu, curd cheese, pastry etc., how to cook pulses, sprout seeds, loads of wholefood recipes and tips on changing your diet to be healthier. Anyway enough of that

I think she sometimes seems to use half and half concentrated fruiit spread e.g. (pear and apple) with half butter or marg, maybe you could try all fruit spread in place of butter? Or what about putting a small amount of nut butter in? I know it has fat in but it is good fat and you do need some of that to help you lose weight

Well done on tracking that recipe down