Tag Archives: granola bars

New Nature Valley Dark Chocolate Granola Bars

We love healthy food finds. And we love chocolate. So when a food find includes chocolate, we couldn’t be happier.

Nature Valley started creating granola bars before grocery stores had entire aisles filled with the latest in protein bars, low-carb bars, and no-sugar bars. Their crunchy granola bars were one of the first to trail-blaze the concept of portable, nutritious and sports-inspired snacks.

The Nature Valley line includes a variety of bars, from the classic Nature Valley Crunchy Oats ‘n Honey to the Sweet and Salty Peanut bar. Just a few months ago, they launched the Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate flavor to their original Crunchy line. As a huge Nature Valley Crunchy bar fan, these bars have become a staple on-the-go breakfast or chocolate indulgence for me. (more…)

Posted on August 24, 2024 by heather

How to Make Your Own Granola Bars

homemade granola barsEvery night, when I pack lunches for the next day’s school and work, it becomes a chore to try to find something that’s tasty and healthy and won’t kill my budget. My kids love granola bars. I try to avoid the bars that are more like candy, with extra sugars and even M&Ms, and stick with brands such as Cascadian Farms and Kashi, but they can be pretty pricey over the course of a month.

I decided to try my hand at making my own, and scouting around I found a really great recipe original to Faith and Family magazine and reposted on several blogs. It appears to be fairly healthy, with whole wheat flour and oats and sweetened with honey, which doesn’t affect the blood sugar as badly as honey. A bonus when you make your own is the lack of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats, and you can literally whip up these bars in minutes. (more…)

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Carmen

Don’t be Fooled by Healthy Food Imposters

yogurt cupA lot of foods appear healthy but contain ingredients that add unwanted fat and calories and can undo hours of work at the gym. Let’s look at a few of them.

  • Yogurt – many popular brands of yogurt contain as much sugar as ice cream. Some have added cereals and chocolate chips. Instead, start with a plain version and add your own flavors with whole fruit. If you need a sweetener, a small amount of honey or agave syrup can add a great deal of flavor. Greek yogurt is one of my personal favorites!
  • Granola – this popular cereal choice can be very high in saturated fats and calories. Make your own granola and you can control the ingredients, adding more healthy choices. You can even mix the granola in with your plain yogurt for a delicious treat! (more…)
Posted on June 26, 2024 by Carmen

We Love Kashi’s TLC Fruit and Grain Bars

This week, we are head-over-heels in love with Kashi’s TLC Fruit and Grain Bars. These scrumptious bars come in three decadent flavors like dark chocolate coconut, pumpkin pie and chocolate raspberry.

Each one packs Kashi’s signature Seven Whole Grains and protein mix and they contain no high fructose corn syrup, sugar or trans-fats.

Our favorite is the pumpkin pie. It tastes exactly like the smoothness of a slice of the real thing with just the perfect combination of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Each bar contains about 120 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.

These delish bars are perfect for a pre- or post-workout snack or when the need for something sweet (but not naughty) arises.

Posted on March 7, 2024 by heather