Homemade muesli bars rule
Ihomegrown-kitchen.co.nz
t’s week two of the final school term, which, as a mother-of-two, means I only have to fill 86 more lunchboxes this year. This is good news.
Like most parents, I strive to pack a school lunch that is equal parts healthy and appealing, but admittedly come term four, I am running low on enthusiasm for creating exciting nutritional options that will still look appetising at morning tea, or worse, lunchtime. Dry, droopy carrot anyone?
Store-bought muesli bars can be an attractive filler, but they are often high in sugar. For a price (around $1 per 40g bar) there are some options with nuts and seeds, and even hemp protein to provide sustenance (if nuts are allowed, that is).
But a muesli bar covered or dipped in milk chocolate is bordering on being a chocolate bar. Some of the bars I’ve seen are close to 40 per cent sugar.
I also like to look at the quantity of protein in supermarket muesli bars, as this will help balance the sugar and energy release. Ten per cent or more protein is a good starting point.
But even the healthier store-bought bars are individually packaged and avoiding this amount of plastic is incentive enough to go homemade.
Luckily, muesli bars are a cinch to make, with lots of scope on substitutions and additions to cater for different food requirements.
With many schools and early childhood centres nutfree, and some also egg- and dairy-free, this is important. So, keeping this in mind when deciding what type of muesli bar to replicate at home eliminated quite a number of the options on the shelf.
Those containing nuts and milk chocolate removed more than half of the contenders, leaving the oat slices as the best option. Albeit, with less sugar and more protein.
The muesli bar below is one I have made for more than a decade in many variations for lunch and snack boxes.
It has ingredient options and substitutions to tackle different dietary requirements and, with a batch costing less than $4 for 12 bars, it is half the price of store-bought and 20 minutes tops of hands- on effort.
I think that (and less packaging) is good enough reason to make your own muesli bars.
I like to use eggs in these muesli bars for cohesion, plus to add protein to balance the carbohydrates – dried fruit and oats. If eggs are unable to be used, a simple egg replacer can be made using ground flaxseeds or chia seeds. Per egg, combine one tablespoon ground flaxseeds or chia seeds and a cup of water in a small bowl. Set aside for five minutes to thicken. The mucilaginous nature of the seeds absorbs the water, producing a gel to help bind the baked muesli bar.
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Makes 12 bars (about 50g each)
cup dates, chopped cup dried cranberries
2 eggs or flaxseed egg replacer (see note above) 75ml vegetable oil 11⁄2 cups rolled oats (or quinoa flakes for gluten free) 1 cup desiccated coconut teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 15cm x 20cm slice tin with baking paper.
Place the dates and dried cranberries in a sieve and slowly pour two cups of boiling water over to soften and rehydrate. Leave to drain over a bowl for a few minutes. Put the eggs or flaxseed egg, oil, and drained dates and cranberries into a food processor and blend for 10 seconds to break up the fruit a little. Add the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture comes together.
Tip into the prepared tin and press evenly into the base. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Cool on a rack, then cut into 12 bars. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge and consume with five days.
Variations
Replace the dried cranberries with sultanas, or chopped dried apricots. Add 50g dark chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate pieces.