Oat & Chia Energy Bars

My husband, Ted, and I workout quite a bit and like to grab an energy bar to take as a pre or post-workout snack. There are some great pre-packaged bars out there, but they can get pretty expensive and often contain a lot of artificial sugars and sugar alcohols. I have had "attempting to make a homemade energy bar" on my to-do list for a while, so this was finally my first stab at it, and they turned out great! At first, I thought I should have left them in the oven a few minutes longer because the consistency seemed a bit soft for a take-n-go energy bar. However, the next day, they were much more firm, making them a much better transportable snack. I ate one of these before I exercised today and I felt awesome during my workout! These bars are packed with nutient-rich ingredients, and the chia seeds are a great energy booster.

Oat & Chia Energy Bars

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup black strap molasses

1 large organic free range egg

2 organic free range egg whites

2 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dried fruit (I used raisins)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 Tbsp chia seeds for topping

Peanut oil for oiling baking dish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with peanut oil.

2. Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl. In separate, medium sized, mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, brown sugar and molasses and beat with hand mixer until smooth.

3. In small bowl, whisk eggs. Combine chia seeds and water in another small bowl and let sit for 3-4 minutes to gel.

4. Add vanilla, chia seeds and eggs to peanut butter mixture. Beat with hand mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir in with a spoon. Fold in oats, raisins and walnuts.

5. Spread mixture into baking pan evenly. Sprinkle 1 Tsbp chia seeds over the top.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool completely in baking dish. Cut into 24 bars.

(Recipe adapted from preventionrd.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of these energy bars? Whole wheat flour is less refined than all purpose flour so provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron. Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and potassium. Black strap molasses is a very good source of several minerals, including iron, calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, and magnesium. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium. Walnuts are very high in omega-3 fatty acids, and are also high in vitamin E and B vitamins. Oats are high in soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol levels.

According to the recipe that I followed on preventionrd.com, here is the nutrition information for one bar: 138 calories, 5.8g fat, 9mg cholesterol, 71mg sodium, 19.8g carbohydrate, 2.8g fiber, 3.6g protein, and 420mg omega 3 fatty acids