Snack: Homemade Banana & Oats Granola Bar

Granola bar with almonds and raisins sweetened just with banana.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 60 mins

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Homemade Banana & Oats Granola Bar

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).

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

1. Whisk egg whites, combine with overripe mashed banana and cinnamon.

2. Fold in oats, raisins and almonds.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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!