When you have kids, it is essential that you have a game plan when it comes to feeding them! You are looking at 21 meals per week plus snacks! That is A LOT of planning and preparation. Ideally we are choosing the highest quality food to nourish their growing bodies without breaking the budget. I have yet to find a more affordable alternative than preparing much of their food from single ingredients. Said simply, cooking a lot!
Whether it is building a healthy lunch box or supplying nutritious snacks, kids need constant attention when it comes to food. Sure, we could choose a big tub of pretzels or the standard granola chewy bars, but that is not nourishing their brains and growing cells. In fact with the increased use of glyphosate those grain based snacks, so commonly fed to kids are likely to have some level of glyphosate.
Glyphosate is an herbicide used to kill broadleaf weeds and grasses. It is the dominant ingredient in Roundup. Glyphosate use has increased grossly in the last 15 years. Many parallels can be drawn from the increased use of the herbicide, glyphosate on wheat, corn and soy and the increased consumption of refined foods containing these ingredients along with a decline in gut health.
Making your own snacks and treats at home help you control the source of your ingredients, control sweeteners and give you the freedom to adjust ingredients to either create your own recipe or modify another one to create what you need for your family! The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my absolute favorite cookbooks, “Kitchen Matters” by: Pamela Salzman.
I changed the seed butter base, cut the sugar by 1/3 and modified the toppings. I also added gelatin powder for an additional protein boost. This allows me to add these bars to the kids’ lunchboxes without worry! The nuts on top are easy to scrape off and send them with the girls for their nut-free preschool!!
I hope you enjoy this SUPER simple and delicious bar!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sunflower seed butter 1/2 cup Tahini spread 1/2 cup Honey 4 large Eggs 2 (15-ounce) cans Chickpeas, drained 2 tsp Vanilla 2 tsp Baking powder 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp Salt 2 Tbsp Dairy free mini chocolate chips (optional) 1/4 cup Mixed nuts, chopped (optional)
Putting it all together:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two 8×11 Pyrex baking dishes with parchment paper.
Add all ingredients, except the chocolate chips and mixed nuts, to a food processor. Process until smooth and well combined.
Spread the batter evenly between the two baking dishes. Top with the chocolate chips and mixed nuts if desired and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
This recipe freezes well, which is why I double it! Simply cut each pan into 16 bars and freeze them separately on a baking sheet. Store the individually frozen bars in a ziplock freezer bag. Take one out and pop it in a lunchbox or a snack container for the little ones!
Nutrition:
This recipe makes 32 bars. 1 serving= 1 bar 110 calories 10.9 g Carbs 5.7 g Fat 4.6 g Protein 2.3 g Fiber 5 g Sugar (zero added sugars)
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