Low Fat Granola Bars with Bananas, Cranberries & Pecans Recipe

From all of your responses to Recipes for Good Healthy and Weight Loss in 2012, it sounds as though many of you are dedicated to either continuing healthy habits or creating some new ones. I alluded to a weight loss journey I have been on over the past several months and will be giving you tips and tricks that have worked for me. Let’s start with what they call “the most important meal of the day”. No, I’m not referring to that bowl of ice cream at 10pm when the kids are in bed and the sugary treats begin their siren call. I’m talking about breakfast. That is where these low fat granola bars, packed with bananas, dried cranberries and pecans, come into play.

Both my husband and I are runners and we log enough miles in the week to get our hunger urges revving at full speed. In addition, my husband lifts free weights and I attend an aerobic/strength training class a couple of times per week. That’s where this recipe comes in. The amazing woman who teaches the strength training class often provides us with her favorite healthy eating tips and the occasional recipe. I took this recipe, filled with fiber and natural sugars, and made a few tweaks based on my family’s taste preferences. It works perfectly as pre-exercise fuel or to curb afternoon hunger cravings.

These granola bars are soft and chewy rather than crispy and have a pleasing level of natural sweetness from the bananas, ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg. However, if you prefer granola bars with a touch more sweetness, consider adding a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. I snuck in some healthy omega-3 fats in the form of ground flax seeds, which are available in most grocery stores. Actually, we found our last batch of flax seed meal at Costco for a smokin’ price.

One of these bars, along with half an apple gives me enough fuel to carry me through my workouts. If you’re looking for an alternative, try my Healthy Yogurt Parfaits with Blueberries & Granola.

What are your favorite ways to fuel-up before your workouts? I’d love to hear your ideas.

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, with about 1 inch of parchment paper overlapping the sides.

Spread out the oats and chopped pecans on a baking sheet. Place in the oven until they are lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with the back of a fork. Stir in applesauce until combined.

Transfer the oats and pecans to a large bowl and stir in dried cranberries, ground flax seed (flax meal), cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Stir the banana mixture into the oat mixture until well combined and starting to clump together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and press down evenly.

Bake until the bars are golden brown and starting to separate from sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Let cool to room temperature, then cut into bars. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Other granola bars recipes:

Family Fresh Cooking’s Telluride Trail Bars

Two Peas and Their Pod’s Peanut Butter Granola Balls

Brown Eyed Baker’s Crunchy Good-for-You Granola Bars

Shutterbean’s Fully Loaded Granola Bars

Low Fat Granola Bars with Bananas, Cranberries & Pecans

From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cup oats
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 3 large, ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed (or flax meal)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, with about 1 inch of parchment paper overlapping the sides.

Spread out the oats and chopped pecans on a baking sheet. Place in the oven until they are lightly toasted, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with the back of a fork. Stir in applesauce until combined.

Transfer the oats and pecans to a large bowl and stir in dried cranberries, ground flax seed (flax meal), cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Stir the banana mixture into the oat mixture until well combined and starting to clump together. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and press down evenly.

Bake until the bars are golden brown and starting to separate from sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Let cool to room temperature, then cut into bars.

Serve or store in an airtight container.

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