Healthy snacks for break time

Nourishing snacks for in between

During a demanding school or work day, many people get hungry between main meals. To avoid negative effects on metabolic health, it is important to reach for healthy snacks that are rich in nutrients and provide energy, but do not cause a rapid spike and drop in blood sugar levels.

For more on blood sugar regulation and nutrition, we recommend the linked article. There, you'll learn how different foods affect blood sugar and metabolic health.

Many natural foods are excellent snacks for in-between meals. These include veggie sticks made from carrots, bell peppers, or cucumbers, various fruits, a hard-boiled egg, or nuts and almonds. These foods can be eaten simply as they are without much effort. Additionally, there's the option to get creative and prepare healthy snacks yourself, offering more variety and enjoyment when snacking.

Below, we’d like to present a recipe for healthy oat bars. You can modify this recipe as you like to create a variety of different bars.

Homemade oat bars

Our oat bars are rich in nutrients and provide quick yet long-lasting energy. They are an ideal snack for a busy day that requires a lot of mental work.

Ingredients for 15 bars

• 200 g oats
• 100 g dates (stoned)
• 65 g cashew butter
• 70 g pistachios (shelled and roughly chopped)
• 15 g flax seeds
• 15 g chia seeds
• 10 g cacao nibs
• 40 g chopped dark chocolate pieces (sugar-free)
• 1 ripe banana (for natural sweetness and binding)
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• Plant-based milk as needed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) top/bottom heat.
2. Place the dates in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 10 minutes until soft, then drain the water.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped pistachios, flax seeds, chia seeds, cacao nibs, chocolate pieces, and sea salt.
4. Tip: Pistachios can be easily chopped with an immersion blender, saving the effort of chopping with a knife.
5. Prepare the wet ingredients: Puree the dates with the banana and cashew butter until smooth. If the mixture is very thick, add a bit of plant-based milk (about 20 ml) to reach a smooth consistency.
6. Mix the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly.
7. Evenly spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The thickness should be about 2 cm to ensure stable bars later. It is recommended to spread the mixture in a rectangular shape to make cutting equal-sized bars easier, ensuring well-shaped bars even from the edges.
8. Bake for about 10 – 12 minutes at 175 °C.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the mixture cool completely. Cut into equal-sized bars. The specified quantity makes about 15 bars.

Storage and additional tips

The granola bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they can be kept for about two weeks.

The recipe can be modified according to personal preferences. There are no limits to creativity. You can easily swap the mentioned ingredients with other options in the same category.

Examples of alternative ingredients:

• Oats: e.g. millet flakes, buckwheat flakes
• Dates: e.g. figs, applesauce
• Cashew butter: e.g. almond butter, peanut butter
• Pistachios: e.g. pecans, almonds, walnuts
• Cocoa nibs, chocolate: e.g. goji berries, chopped dried fruit