I’m hungry all the time. Really. After Thanksgiving dinner, I was ready to fill my belly again in about a half hour. My appetite is part inheritance, part nursing mama. Sometimes, when Anabella wakes in the middle of the night, I can’t get back to sleep because I’m so hungry. Other times, I’m searching for something other than a handle of raisins as we head out the door. I’m not big on processed foods, but with a toddler and a book project, my cooking days are not what they used to be.
So I’ve been experimenting, creating easy, nutrient dense, quick snacks to satiate pregnant or nursing moms, or even hungry little bellies. These “bars” are modeled after the delicious, but expensive, Larabars. I’m dubbing them “MegaBars.
Ingredients
1 cup almonds, peanuts, or cashews
1/2 cup coconut oil (health benefits found here!)
1 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup of shredded, unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup dried fruit (I use whatever’s in the house, usually unsweetened cranberries and cherries)
1 T or more of raw honey (remember, honey is only OK for babies over a year)
a pinch of sea salt
Method
1. Process nuts in food processor til creamy.
2. Add coconut oil and dates and process til finely chopped.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and process til desired consistency. I like a few lumps.
4. Press into a 9×9 pan, or if you’re ambitious, roll into balls, and then roll in more coconut.
5. Chill for ~30 minutes, cut into bars, enjoy at all hours of the day!
Another recipe to come next week!
What are your favorite on-the-go, fill-‘er-up snacks?
the other baby blog 
Yum. Yum. And Yum.
I tend to slap some peanut butter on something for a quick snack. Celery, bread, crackers…Or a slice of cheese and turkey from the deli drawer. Sometimes I make healthy muffins to fill me (and the kids) up! But I need to try this. Sounds delicious.
Yes, I love PB too! I’ll post another recipe next week for the PB lovers. =) We also buy grass fed beef sticks (think, beef jerky but healthy) and they are amazingly portable!
Thank you! I’ve been wanting to make my own version of Larabars at home….my son and I are both addicts, and buying them gets expensive. you rock! Ok if I share on my blog?
Yes, please link up and share away! We literally make these every week. I hope other moms can enjoy them too!
this sounds so great ~ thanks for sharing the recipe! do you keep them refrigerated?
Yes! Though they last all day in my bag 🙂 ~Megan