Banana & Blueberry Bars

This tasty bar is perfect for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. It’s full of starch to give you lasting energy, unrefined sugars for a healthy sweetness, fiber for good digestion, and even omega-3s for heart health. You can have a delicious treat and support your body at the same time!

Yields 12 bars

Ingredients:

1 c dates

1.5 c apple juice

1 c oat flour

2 c rolled oats

¾ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

3 bananas

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ c blueberries, frozen

½ c walnuts

Cut dates in half, remove the pits and soak them in apple juice. Lay a piece of parchment paper in a 9 x 9 in baking pan, making sure the sides are covered. Cut slits in the corners of the paper so that the paper overlaps and is flat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl. Mix and set aside. Put the bananas and vanilla extract into a blender. Add the strained apple juice to the blender, set dates aside, and blend until creamy. Then add the dates. Pulse a few times, so the dates are in small pieces.

Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredient bowl. Mix until blended evenly. Stir in the blueberries and walnuts. Pour the batter into baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Test for doneness, by poking bars with a fork. If it comes out clean then remove pan from oven. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Photos by culinary instructor, Cathy Fisher of www.straightupfood.com

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 1 bar
Calories			309
Total Fat			9 g
Saturated Fat			1 g
Trans Fat			0 g
Cholesterol			0 mg
Sodium			3 mg
Total Carb			51 g
Fiber			7 g
Sugar			18 g
Protein			9 g
Vitamin A		8 IU
Vitamin C		3 mg
Calcium		49 mg
Folate		41 ug
Iron		3 mg
Zinc		2 mg