Tag Archives: easy

No Bake Granola Nut Butter Bars

Granola Bars can be a breakfast or a snack…it depends on how they are made. These bars are a great Gluten Free YogaLean grab-and-go breakfast, snack after athletic activities, or something to take with you on an airplane flight.

I make these each time I fly. I can take them on the plane with dried fruit or fresh apple slices or grapes to ensure I have healthy, gluten free options while I am in transit. I prefer to take fresh fruit for the moisture content as flights dry me out, but that is not always feasible. Always have a plan A and a plan B when traveling!

HINT: When I travel I use almond, cashew, sunflower seed or walnut butter (and matching nuts/seeds) as many people have peanut allergies.

The recipe is simple, it is a derivation of my granola bars with dried fruit, and can be made many different ways so you will never get bored! The recipe is an ode to Rice Krispie Treats my mom made me when I was young…now grown-up and Gluten Free!

Enjoy this recipe and find other Gluten Free recipes at Healthy Recipe Variations.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Chex Cereal (Rice or Corn)

1/2 cup flax seed meal or ground flaxseed

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 TBSP cinnamon

1/2 cup honey

1 cup nut butter

Stir-ins: 1/2 cup diced dried fruit (no sulphur dioxide or sugar added is best), mini dark chocolate chips, or chopped nuts

Spray for the 9 x 12 pan (olive oil or coconut oil)

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Substitutions/Additions:

Peanut Butter: Substitute any nut butter (almond, cashew or walnut work well) or Sunflower Seed Butter. NOTE: When flying I try to avoid peanut butter as there may be a fellow traveler with a peanut allergy and you will not be able to unwrap and eat the food to avoid triggering a fellow passenger’s allergy.

Additions: Coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, or pepitas can be added if you wish a different texture and/or flavor.

Cooking Tips:

  • I like to add nuts that correspond to the nut butter I used in the recipe.
  • For this recipe, doubling the diced dried fruit will ensure that each bite has an ode to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich…a comfort food!

Instructions

  1. Start by gently crushing your cereal. Break up the Chex into smaller pieces, not into dust/flour.
  2. In a mixer or a large bowl, combine all the DRY ingredients.
  3. Warm the peanut butter (or nut butter you are using) in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a pan until it gets a bit runny. Add the warm peanut butter to the dry ingredients and mix to coat.
  4. Add the honey to the mixture and stir to coat.
  5. Transfer the mixture to the greased pan. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Let rest to solidify for 30 minutes to 1 hour then cut into bars.

HINT: Cooking time for soft and chewy bars is 25-30 minutes for soft and chewy, 30-35 minutes for medium, 35-45 minutes for crunchy.

Enjoy this recipe and find other Gluten Free recipes at Healthy Recipe Variations.

5 Easy Poses for Weekend Warriors

I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not always easy to fit in a workout during the week. Between your job or school, meetings, doctor’s appointments, taking care of your pets and family, running errands, and cooking dinner, exercise doesn’t always make the cut. Then when the weekend rolls around, you make up for not exercising by going all out on Saturday or Sunday.

Yoga is a great way to boost the energy of those weekend warriors who wear themselves out on those last days. Specific postures can stabilize your spine, soothe tight hamstrings, open the hips and prevent injuries you might incur doing your favorite weekend activities. These 5 poses target the total body, lubricating the shoulder and knee joints, and protecting your back.

 

1) Bridge – help shoulder misalignment. Lie back with knees bent and feet to floor. Gently walk your shoulders under your body to clasp hands underneath your buttocks and slowly lift the hips about six inches off the floor and breathe deeply for a minute or two; repeat as needed.  

2) Knees to Chest – prevent aggravation in the spine: Lie back and bend both knees into the chest, and slowly grasp your legs toward your chest, rocking slowly back and forth through the hips. Also try making large circles in the sky using your knees in one direction, and then switching. This really lubes your back muscles! 

3) Upside-down Pigeon – work out tight hips and thighs:  Lie back and cross right ankle over left knee and use your hands to push that left knee away from you. Point the toes on your bent right leg and gently grasp right shin to hold it and stretch through the hips and mid-body.

4) Cobra – Alleviate back pain: Lie belly down with straight legs in back of you, and try to touch all toes to the mat. Bring palms to your lower ribs and slowly use your hands and arms to press chest slightly off the mat. Keep looking down and breathe slowly here for 30 to 60 seconds or so; repeat twice.

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5) Dancer – Improve Balance: Stand tall on the left foot and bend right knee so right foot touches your butt in the back. Reach back with right hand and clasp the right foot as you try to balance. Keep both knees together and contract the belly. Slowly bend forward, working your torso to parallel and pushing your feet back against your hand for 30 seconds or so. Slowly stand and release, then switch sides and repeat to the left. This is also a great quad stretch for the front of your hips and thighs, and one of the very best injury-prevention postures that we regularly perform in yoga class. 

Have a great weekend everyone! Happy Memorial Day.