National Granola Bar Day, Paleo Style
Today is National Granola Bar Day. Unwrap one, pour a nice glass of skim milk and start your day off right. Just kidding. Can we do it Paleo style? Let’s see… According to Wikipedia, a granola bar is… um… made from granola, which is “a breakfast food and snack food, popular around the world, consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until crisp.” So…oats? Puffed rice? Honey? Not so paleo. And a bit on the sugary side, too. Don’t get me wrong; I used to eat a ton of the stuff. First of all, don’t forget I grew up with a Hippie Mom. Not sure if it was possible to be a Hippie and not eat granola? Secondly, I had my vegan stage…during which I certainly ate my fair share of sprouted grains to ‘get my protein’, or so I thought. Finally, being an endurance athlete, pre-my Paleo days that began in 2005, I thought I needed lots of carbs to fuel my swimming, biking and running. Oh, dear, wrong again. However, there’s hope in the granola world. Not as something to rely on as part of your daily diet; rather, as a once in a while, on the go type of deal, you can make a simple creation, more along the lines of a ‘granola’ versus and actual bar, based on your favorite sprouted nuts, naturally dried fruits and, why not throw in some homemade jerky, too? While it may not really be granola any more in the truest sense of the word, it does make a viable option for those tough, in a pinch situations and it’s certainly got less consequences than a box of Quaker’s !00% Natural. (You’ve got to love that they call it that, BTW. Here are the ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED WHEAT, BROWN SUGAR, RAISINS, CANOLA OIL, WHEY, INULIN, ALMONDS, NONFAT DRY MILK, GLYCERIN, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, HONEY, NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS COCONUT COMPONENTS), SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL MIXED TOCOPHEROLS (ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS). CONTAINS WHEAT, MILK, ALMOND AND COCONUT INGREDIENTS.) Ah, yes. Sounds completely, 100% natural to me. I can pick all of those items listed right off a tree and eat them! Alternatively, you can try your hand at making a homemade bar, such as my recipe from Paleoista Book. Click here to try it, and better yet, download your copy of Pocket Paleo, Snacks for more ideas on meals to go that supersede even the most Paleo of granola options!
