Fruit and Grain Bars

A Healthy Snack

For years I bought fruit and grain bars for my kids thinking I was giving them a healthy snack.  Then I learned all about High fructose corn syrup and how bad it is for you.  Msg is another ingredient I have learned to stay away from.  But it is almost imposible to totally  avoid them.  Unless you make everything from scratch.  Here is a recipe that I've been using to replace those nasty store bought fruit and grain bars........

  They taste better they're prettier and bigger and you can make them any flavor you like.  The only tricky part is finding a store bought preserve without HFCS.  I suggest you make your own preserves...its cheaper......just take frozen or fresh fruit and cook it with sugar and a little lemon juice.  Boil until its thick and refrigerate.  You can control the sweetness and the texture(chunky or smooth).  Generally preserve recipes call for 40/60 sugar to fruit ratio.  I used homemade apple butter in this tutorial.

Fruit and Grain bar Tutorial

First line a the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper.  Then combine all the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients.  Press half the crust into the pan and cover with filling.  Then crumble the remaining crust over the top and gently press.  Bake, cut and enjoy.  Its that easy!

Click here for

Fruit and Grain Bar Recipe  

This is the ingredient list of a leading brand

CRUST: WHOLE GRAIN OATS, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE] , VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SOYBEAN OIL, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, SUGAR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, WHEY, WHEAT BRAN, SALT, CELLULOSE, POTASSIUM BICARBONATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, WHEAT GLUTEN, NIACINAMIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CARRAGEENAN, ZINC OXIDE, REDUCED IRON, GUAR GUM, VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN) , FOLIC ACID. FILLING: HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, RASPBERRY PUREE CONCENTRATE, GLYCERIN, SUGAR, SODIUM ALGINATE, NATURAL FLAVORS, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, METHYLCELLULOSE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CARAMEL COLOR, RED 40.

  I can't even begin to tell you what all these ingredients are I just recognized the obvious ones.  And cellulose which is a cheap filler made of wood and marketed as fiber.  Now you'll also see a lot of vitamins and good stuff I really don't know how effective they are when combined with all that HFCS and baked.  Its really just to make them appear to be healthy.  Kids should get their vitamins from fresh fruits and veggies.

The homemade version has vitamins and nutrients also, from the whole wheat flour, oats and fruit.  You can also add bran, flax, wheat germ etc.......

This post was shared at the Link Parties found Here

*Note I am not an expert just a picky mom who knows how to google. 

 The above article is my opinion.