Apricot & Walnut Energy Bars

These are great-tasting energy bars with a nice consistency that hold together very well for a transportable snack.  They are a perfect pre and/or post cardio-workout snack, as they provide plenty of carbohydrate and not too much protein.  My husband, Ted, took these for pre and post-wokout snacks for running and computrainer, and said that they were great fuel.  I had two after my hour long spinning class over the weekend, and found them to be great for recovery.  I had a recovery shake after the last spin class I went to, and found that these bars made me feel just as good as the shake.  Shakes and pre-packaged bars are very convenient and a really good tool, but whenever possible, Ted and I prefer to have "real food" for fuel.

Another thing I like about these bars is that there isn't any table sugar added to them.  The dried fruit and maple syrup provide plenty of sweetness, and plenty of carbohydrate combined with the oats for recovery. I will be making these again!

Apricot & Walnut Energy Bars

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil, for oiling baking pan
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried dates
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large organic free range eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil 9 x 13 inch baking pan with canola oil.

2. Lightly toast wheat germ over medium heat in heavy pan, stirring constantly.  Will know it is toasted when turns slightly more golden color and becomes fragrant.

3. Place all ingredients, except for syrup and eggs, in large food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add syrup and eggs and pulse until mixture forms a coarse paste.

4. Spread mixture into baking pan evenly.  Mixture will be sticky, so using a heavy wooden spatula, or similar, is helpful for spreading. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in pan; cut into squares or rectangles of desired size (I cut into 20 squares).

(Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger's energy bar recipe on food network.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of these energy bars? Oats are high in soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol levels. Wheat germ is high in folic acid, iron and zinc. 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. Dates are packed with potassium, magnesium and fiber. Apricots are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E, as well as the mineral potassium. Walnuts are very high in omega-3 fatty acids, and are also high in vitamin E and B vitamins. The eggs add some protein, and are also one of the best food sources of choline.

If cut into 20 bars, each contains the following: 110 calories, 16g carbohydrate, 11g sugar, 4 g fat, 3g protein, and 3g fiber