Daily Plate: Homemade Oatmeal Energy Bars

I know energy bars are often overpriced and basically glorified candy bars, but when out and about with no snacks in my purse, I'm often tempted to reach for a Clif, Luna, or Lara Bar when my stomach starts growling. Compared to a lot of other options, they’re not that bad (they’ll at least keep you full longer than a bag of chips or pretzels), but many varieties are full of sugar, fat, and more protein and calories than most people need in a snack. On the flipside, they’re no replacement for a meal on their own.

While you can get some that are well balanced and in the 100-250-calorie range, you’re likely to pay quite a bit—and engage in quite a lot of label-reading. I don’t know about you, but I hate to be that girl in the store that tries to stare into the soul of every item she picks up. Besides, it eats up valuable time that could be spent chatting with friends, compulsively checking email, or studying.

Speaking of studying, now that classes have started again, it’s time for me to get back in the habit of having enough on hand to get me through eight-and-ten-hour stretches. This requires some planning—and cooking—ahead. Yesterday I had a few free hours, so I decided to make my own energy bars.

Here’s the recipe I came up with, based on various recipes I saw online. They're pretty moist, but intentionally so. If that's not your thing, you can cook them a little longer or use less milk. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal Energy Bars

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or other nut)
• 3/4 cup dried fruit (I used 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots, ¼ cup chopped dried dates, and ¼ cup raisins)
• 1-2 scoops protein powder (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups skim or soy milk
• 1 egg or egg substitute (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer)
• 1 tsp vanilla


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. Mix wet ingredients.
4. Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.
5. Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment.
6. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. Cut into 9 squares.

Makes 9 servings. Each bar is about 125 calories with 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.*

Note:
• The mellow sweetness is nice, but feel free to add brown sugar, maple syrup or honey to taste.

* without protein powder or added sweeteners.