Healthy Granola Bar Recipe: Low Calorie Too!

I have a healthy granola bar recipe for you that could make a great “grab and go” breakfast or a filling midday snack. It’s easy to prepare and reasonably tasty. Honestly, if you choose granola or other food bars on the basis of taste alone, chances are good you’ve chosen something that is more akin to a dessert than a healthy meal bar or snack. Look at the nutrition label and you may find it’s loaded with calories from fat, sugar, or both! Not so with this recipe. It’s a low calorie choice that’s packed with healthy nutrients.



I developed the granola bar recipe by modifying one I discovered for a healthy breakfast cookie on the Calorie Count site of About.com.

I chose to include craisins rather than raisins because I like them! Craisins also have the potential to contribute to urinary tract health.

I chose to use a cereal with whole grain flakes such as Wheatabix rather than bran flakes as called for in the original recipe. Have you tried Wheatabix? It’s a nutritious low calorie whole grain choice but I didn’t care for it as a breakfast cereal. I found it turned to mush all too quickly after I added milk. So I used the cereal instead to make muffins, cookies, and granola bars.

Another option for the cereal might be Organic Flax Plus by Nature’s Path. Organic Heritage Cereal by Nature’s Path would also make a good choice if you can find it. It’s a flake cereal made with a wide range of whole grains including wheat, oats, barley, and quinoa. I remember it tasting good when I had a chance to sample it but it doesn’t seem to be available where I live.

Another change I made to the original recipe was to include ground flax seed rather than the suggested wheat germ. By using a whole grain cereal such as whole wheat instead of bran flakes you’ll get the benefits of the germ without having to add more. I like ground flax seed because it has a pleasant nutty flavor and it’s good for you. It may help reduce inflammation in the body and keep your arteries clear of plaque buildup. Both benefits will reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Low Calorie Healthy Granola Bar

makes about 8 bars

Ingredients

2 cups of cereal made with whole grain flakes

2 cups oatmeal

2 tbsp. ground flax seed

1 ½ tbsp. cinnamon

½ cup plain yogurt

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup skim milk powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

½ cup craisins (soak about 15 minutes in warm water first then drain well)

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F. Crush the whole grain flakes and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the oatmeal, ground flax seed, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In another medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, applesauce, vanilla, honey, beaten egg, and skim milk powder. Add baking soda and baking powder to this mixture. Mix well.

Gradually stir the crushed whole grain flakes and oatmeal into the yogurt mixture. Add the craisins and mix well.

Make the granola bars by scooping three heaping tablespoons for each bar onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Shape into bars about 4 inches long.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Makes 8 bars. Remove the granola bars from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Wrap each bar in saran wrap or foil, refrigerate and eat within a week or so. Or freeze the wrapped bars in a zip lock freezer bag. The granola bars should keep well for several months.

Freezing the granola bars works best for me. I’ve found I can take a bar with me to eat in the car if I’m in a hurry. To make a complete meal I have ½ cup of juice for some vitamin C before I leave and I make or buy some coffee with nonfat milk (for example a tall Starbucks cafe au lait with nonfat milk) to round out the meal and keep the calorie count low.

Low Calorie Breakfast

1 homemade granola bar (222 calories)

4 oz. orange juice (Florida Natural, 55 calories)

Starbucks Coffee with Nonfat Milk (1 tall, 60 calories)

Total calories: 337

Protein: 13.6 grams (16%)

Fat: 3.2 grams (8%)

Carbohydrates: 66.4 grams (75%)

Vitamin C: 37.6 mg

Calcium: 336 mg

Iron: 4.4 mg

Dietary Fiber: 5.7 grams

This is a high carbohydrate meal with lots of filling fiber! However, I would recommend getting some more fat in a mid-morning snack with a nutritious choice such as a low calorie cheese or some slices of avocado with whole grain crackers. Or you might choose 2% milk instead of nonfat milk for your coffee (80 calories rather than 60 for a tall cafe au lait at Starbucks.)

For those of you who would rather not make your own granola bars, I will be taking a look at what seems to me be an overwhelming number of choices for commercially made food bars. Originally all you had were granola bars. Now there are breakfast bars, meals bars, snack bars, and energy bars as well as granola bars. Are these actually good for you? And if so, which ones make a better choice?

I’ll cover what you need to know to pick a healthy low calorie food bar if you need a nutritious low calorie meal substitute or a snack. Till then, I hope you enjoy the healthy granola bar recipe. Do you have any low calorie nutritious recipes for meal or snack bars to share? If so, let me know in the comments section! Thanks.

More low calorie healthy breakfast ideas

Till next time, watch those calories and eat healthy food!