Homemade Banana & Oats Granola Bar - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 medium bananas, overripe
- 1/4 cup packed raisins
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup rolled oats
Instructions
- Whisk egg whites, combine with overripe mashed banana and cinnamon.
- Fold in oats, raisins and almonds.
- Pour into a 9" square baking dish. You can line with parchment paper for easy clean up by cutting 2 pieces of parchment paper longer and slightly narrower than your dish and putting one sheet vertically, then placing the other sheet horizontally on top so that all 4 sides are covered.
- Level the mixture by pressing on it with a spoon. Bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 40 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
- You can use any combination of dried fruit and nuts. I sometimes add organic chocolate pieces (sweetened with cane juice only) and dried strawberries to make a strawberry banana chocolate granola bar.
- Note: I also use this in place of bread as I have a gluten allergy. It tastes great warm or cold with peanut butter and honey on top!
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Homemade Banana & Oats Granola Bar contribute to your health goals:
- Egg: Contain choline which supports liver function and hormone metabolism
- Oat: Supports steady blood sugar release, reducing insulin resistance
- Almond: Magnesium helps improve insulin sensitivity and reduce PCOS symptoms
- Cinnamon: Studies show cinnamon can help lower fasting blood sugar levels in PCOS
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and anti-inflammatory spices that target the chronic inflammation underlying PCOS. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Homemade Banana & Oats Granola Bar can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe
This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Cinnamon.
Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).
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