Recipe: Cranberry Almond Granola Bars - Ep 38 - Made Fit TV

I always say this, but it is true!: “Nutrition accounts for 75% of the results you see from your exercise program.”  In other words, were are what we eat.  Period.  There’s no way getting around it, that’s just the way we as humans were made.  Okay, now that you’ve dried your eyes from the shocking truth, it’s time to take action and eat foods that work for your body and the results you are trying to achieve, as opposed to against it.

Oats are one of the healthiest foods on the planet to eat because they are packed with slow-digesting complex carbs, fiber, and heart-healthy components.  Granola, although it contains oats, isn’t always the best food to eat.  See for yourself.  Flip over that box you have stashed in your desk drawer and you will see the loads of sugar and, more likely, processed ingredients listed in the nutrition facts.

Now, I want to commend you for at least keeping food with you so you don’t starve yourself all day and then binge at night.  That’s the fastest way to packing on the pounds.  But if you are not sure of what granola bars to buy because of all the marketing hype… make your own!  Check out this week’s Made Fit TV episode where I show you how to make protein-packed, chewy, low-sugar, yummy, cranberry almond granola bars!

If you’re pressed for time (as we all are), whip them up over the weekend or a day off to have for snacks and meal replacements for the work week, saving you time and money!

Cranberry Almond Granola Bars

Ingredients: 3 cups oats,  3 egg whites, 1/2 cup sliced almonds, 3/4 cup protein powder, 1/4 cup splenda, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup apple sauce, 1/4 cup honey 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp skim milk

1.) Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees

2.) While oven is pre-heating, chop up the almonds with a knife on a cutting board until they are to your desired size

3.) In one mixing bowl, combine the eggs, apple sauce, honey, skim milk, and vanilla extract - Mix for two minutes, or until smooth

3.) In a separate bowl, combine the oats, protein powder, splenda, almonds, and dried cranberries

4.) When dry ingredients are blended, pour in the wet ingredients and stir until blended together for about 3 minutes

5.) Spray a cookie sheet with a fat-free non-stick spray and pour the granola mixture onto the sheet

6.) Place a sheet of wax paper over the mixture and spread out evenly until the mixture is about a 1/2 inch thick all around and it makes a rectangle (or your desired shape!)

7.) Remove the wax paper and place the cookie sheet in the oven to bake for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the oven), or until the top of the granola is golden brown

8.) After baking remove the entire granola in one piece to a separate surface to cool for 5 minutes, then cut it into 18 bars

9.) Cover and refrigerate for later

Nutrition Facts: 1 bar = 137 calories, 3g fat, 21g carbohydrates, 10.5g sugar, 7.5g protein