Homemade Granola Bars

I may be an RD; but I am far from one of those "foodies."
Honestly, I don't particularly love cooking. I don't mind it, it just isn't a passion.
However, I am slowly starting to make more and more things from scratch in my kitchen. Now, we are not processed food eaters per say. I don't buy frozen meals ever, mostly because I know I can make it for cheaper, but I also can't claim to be a "clean" eater saying good-bye to all processed foods.

Sometimes that endeavor definitely intrigues me, but it also overwhelms me? Can I get an Amen?! I do the best I can with the budget we have and we provide delicious and healthy meals. Back to my main point I find the best way to tackle change is the same way you eat an elephant...one bite at a time.

My recent homemade items are salsa, black beans, white northern beans and now granola bars. As I get use to adding in a particular item into my cooking routine, I slowly pick another one to add.

My BFF gave me this recipe and it was delicious, but I have tweaked it a bit. After my 3rd attempt my family now loves them.

2 Cups rolled oats {old-fashion}
1/2C brown sugar
1/2 C wheat germ
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 C white/wheat flour {50-50 mix}
3/4 C raisins {optional}
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 C honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C no sugar added applesauce OR pumpkin puree OR mashed sweet potato
2tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C of choc. chips {optional}


Mix up all the ingredients in a bowl. Spread in a 9x13 pan. It is very sticky and you have to work with it.
Bake at 350*F for 30ish minutes. It will still be soft to the touch. Let stand for a few minutes then cut into bars. Cut before completely cooled or they can become too hard to cut. You should be able to get 20ish bars/ pan. They aren't huge, but filling! Way more filling than my nutri-grain bars. :)

Now as you can see I don't use "clean" ingredients, but I made them at home which decreases preservation ingredients, which is a win in my book. Baby steps. :)

I put the recipe into My Fitness Pal app and it estimated
Calories at ~144 calories/ bar
Protein ~3.3g
Fiber 1.9
Not a bad little snack. And like I said it hits the spot and fills me up better than other store bought granola bars.