One of my objectives of The Root Cause is to be of service to mum’s who are juggling work commitments with being the best mum and partner they can be.
In an effort to find out what you wanted, I recently conducted a survey about how best I can be of service to you. One of the questions I asked was about what packaged foods mums include in lunch boxes. By far the most common response was the muesli bar. I can totally get that – they are convenient, you can buy them in boxes of 4 or more and the kids love them (of course they do, the sugar content in them makes them addictive and most are laced with additives and preservatives too).
You also told me you wanted more recipes. So I want to share with you one of my kids favourite muesli bars. They love it because it’s chewy and naturally sweet. I love it because it’s easy to make, I can get them involved without lots of mess, it makes lots of bars (more than you can get in a box at the supermarket), they always get eaten and I can freeze them so they last ages. I also love that I can turn them into a breakfast by adding some natural yoghurt and some fresh fruit to the top.
This recipe is dairy, egg and refined sugar free. It’s also got a good mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, so will give energy and keep your child fuller for longer. (This recipe was tweaked from this version on Taste.com)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2/3 cup dates (pitted & chopped)
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (chopped)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup or raw honey
- 1/2 cup rice malt syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 banana – mashed
How to
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line a rectangular tray (20 x 30 cm) with baking paper
- Mix together the dry ingredients – rolled oats, coconut, pepitas, chia seeds, cinnamon, dates and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
- Over medium heat, combine the wet ingredients – coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey), rice malt syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined and the rice malt syrup as dissolved.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Add the mashed banana and mix well.
- Press mixture firmly into prepared tin. This is a great step to get the kids involved. Wet their hands and get them to press the mixture down firmly. If you like to have a smooth surface, after the kids have gone, use the back of a soup spoon to smooth over the little finger prints.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave the slice in the tin to cool before removing. Then cut into bars or squares (depending on the age of your children or the style of lunch box – our Yumbox lends itself to squares better).
You may also wish to try another of my family’s favourite muesli bars – Oat Muesli Slice.