The Perfect Healthy Granola Bar

Well now that is a statement isn't it? I've been searching, for so long for the perfect granola bar. I've suffered through batches of bars that just won't stick together (but thankfully do make good granola), and the ones that do stick are annoyingly the ones that are bursting with sugar and golden syrup. This just won't do. Granola bars are supposed to be breakfast food, and whilst I'm not pretending that I haven't passed a chocolate brownie off as breakfast, for a regular breakfast it isn't sustainable to eat sugar laden granola bars.

So what is the secret to a healthy sugar-free granola bar that will stick? An egg white.

What goes into your granola bar can be fairly flexible and a combination of coconut oil and honey plus that important egg white will ensure they stay together, and are robust enough to be wrapped up and chucked in your handbag for breakfast on the go (which is why I need them). Plus that egg will give you a little more protein to start the day.

Granola Bars
Makes 6 chunky granola bars, bake in a square brownie tin.

190g porridge oats
40g of desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
pinch of sea salt
70ml of coconut oil (melted) or groundnut or sunflower oil
60g of honey
70g of dried fruit
60g nuts, chopped if they are large
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 egg white

Optional but nice:
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Variations / Additions
Swap the coconut flakes for sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon of peanut butter encourages sticking together, and tastes pretty great
grated orange or lemon zest
dark chocolate chips in place of nuts (I won't tell if you don't)
Replace half the honey for maple syrup

Preheat your oven to gas mark 3 / 160c electric

Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl, except for the egg white. Mix with a large wooden spoon, or if using a stand mixer (I've just bought a very shiny new Kitchenaid!) mix on a slow speed with the paddle for 2 minutes. Add in the egg white and briefly mix to combine, mix for 10 seconds in the mixer.

Transfer to your tin, lined with greased proof paper. Press down with a spatula, so that it is all tightly packed together and evenly in the tin. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until it is golden on top.

An important bit for when it comes out of the oven - whilst still in the tin, cut the bars into pieces. Don't worry if they crumble a bit whilst they are warm.

After you've got the bars into slices just smoosh any crumbly bits down again. As they cool the bars will continue to stick together. Leave to cool completely then your bars are ready to be set free from the tin.

They'll keep for about a week in an airtight container. It makes me all kinds of happy that I can whip these up on a Sunday evening and know that breakfast is sorted for 5 days.

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Roasted Aubergine - simple veggie dinner

A quick and simple one here. This is currently our favourite veggie dinner - it is super easy to make, healthy and filling. And you can change up the toppings and sides to make it different each time.

I work to about 1.5 aubergines per person. Cut them lengthways and add to a baking dish with good quality olive oil, crushed garlic, plenty of seasoning (aubergines are spongy and therefore need plenty of help) and chilli flakes. Roast for around 25 minutes at a medium high heat. Then remove from the oven and wrap in foil, leave for a few minutes, this helps them to wilt a little and become silkier and even softer.

I have some top tips for this recipe, and aubergines in general:

1. Always always use room temperature aubergines, otherwise they will stay rubbery and won't breakdown
2. Line your baking dish with foil or greaseproof paper. Aubergines are sticky little things and roasted aubergine will weld itself to your favourite dish and be impossible to wash off. 
3. Wrapping the aubergines as soon as they come out of the oven will allow them to rest and collapse, giving you lovely soft aubergine flesh to eat.

Toppings wise for these we have had several things include:

• Salsa verde & feta cheese
• Pesto & parmesan/vegetarian Parmesan
• Tomato (pasta) sauce and mozzarella (parmagiana style)
• Yoghurt & tahini sauce and crisped chickpeas, Smitten Kitchen Style (in the cookbook)

We usually serve it with a side salad, quinoa or cous cous also works well. Also, you should definitely do this on the barbecue whilst it is still sunny!

Now go and buy some aubergines and get baking :)

Other veggie friendly Aubergine recipes:
Sea Spiced Aubergine
Aubergine & Tomato Pasta

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Healthy Snacking: Bounce Balls

I'm all for snacking, but I find it hard to make it healthy. I'm not a big fan of fresh fruit (it makes you hungrier than when you started, right aren't I?), save for really nice summer berries, but that reduces my fruit snacking options to about 3 months of the year. Plus I love chocolate bars, I've written an ode to them before.

I recently tried a Nutribox subscription, which contained a Bounce Ball, which I loved. Shortly after the lovely people who make Bounce Balls offered to send me the range, which was rather nice of them!

Waitrose currently stock them, but only two flavours, so I got to try others that I wouldn't be able to get hold of locally. I'd already tried Cashew & Pecan (in my Nutribox) and also the Almond protein ball - which Waitrose have. The range I was sent was Coconut & Macadamia, Peanut, Almond and Spirulina & Ginseng.

I've got quite a sweet tooth and this is the reason I like bounce balls, a lot of other health food bars and snacks I've tried have lots of goodness in them but can be a little lacking in sweetness. Bounce Balls don't achieve this with sugar, but with Brown Rice Malts, Grape Juice and Vanilla.

By no means are Bounce Balls low calorie, they are designed to be eaten was a protein packed snack  before exercise, or as a snack to nourish you. They are really filling, which I like, as it stops me snacking on empty calories through the day, plus as they are dense and chewy they are satisfying. They are more expensive than a chocolate bar (around £1.80) so they are an occasional treat, but you can save money if you buy them in packs from their online shop - plus they are better for you than a chocolate bar!

My favourite flavour was, surprisingly, the Spirulina & Ginseng. It looks a little strange as it is a green colour but it has a really nice fudgy taste and the earthiness of the Ginseng really works.

Coconut & Macadamia was reminiscent of those snowball cakes you used to get in the 90s. The Peanut was a little too chewy for my taste, it was a little hard to eat! And it was a hot day so I would have thought it would be softer. The Almond, which I'd had before, wasn't as chewy as the peanut, so easier to eat.

I've noticed they've got a fudgie walnut ball, which makes me think (hope) it might taste a bit like a chocolate brownie, I'll be looking out for this one too.

Bounce Balls are priced at around £1.80 and you can buy them in Waitrose, Holland and Barratt and other health food stores. Find out more here. Bounce Ball also have their own online shop where you can buy packs of 12 and 40.


Thank you to Bounce Balls for my samples.

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The Nutribox Review - March

After feeling a little bit like I was made up of 50% butter after too much excessive dessert eating I decided I'd give The Nutribox ago. I spotted a discount on Laura's blog for 50% off a box so I decided that I needed to ditch the snickers and start snacking a bit better.

My compact box arrived in the post a week or so after ordering (they ship them at the same time each month) the boxes are letterbox friendly so no traipsing to the post office with your 'sorry you were out' card. For £12.95 you get a selection of 8-10 snacks in their 'mini box' - you can also order a large box which is 16-20 snacks for £25.00. And you can get 25% off your first box.

I've just received my April minibox, but as I've not eaten my way through it yet here is my review of the March box, which I very much enjoyed - I gave Mr a chance to try some too although only sparingly ;)

The box came with two raw chocolate 'Om Bars,' a Bounce Ball, a Braw Apple & Pear bar, some dried fruit and nuts from the Ludlow Nut Company (who are awesomely called Ludlow Nutters on Twitter), Raw Cacao Crisp Energy Bomb and a Mrs Wallflower Candy energy bar.

The bounce ball was my favourite! I think this is because it isn't a raw product, I don't mind raw but aren't things so much better when they are toasted? It had cashew and pecan along with brown rice malts (nicer than it sounds), grape juice, sesame seeds and a little sea salt. It was nutty and sweet enough with some nice toastiness - I think some chocolate would make it taste like a ferrero rocher!

The Pulsin' Energy Bomb was second on my list of favourites- it was a raw chocoalte chewy bar with crispy rice inside, which made it feel like a real treat, like a proper chocolate bar. I didn't get one in my April box so I'll be buying separately. 

I quite like Nakd bars but not usually the fruit ones, I prefer the cocoa ones (being the chocoholic I am) so I wasn't too sure about this Apple & Pear Braw bar - but it was surprisingly good. It was oaty so it was a little like cereal bar, and it was quite sweet which was perfect for my sweet tooth. I've got a blackcurrant one and a chocolate orange one in my April box!

The nuts and fruit from Ludlow Nut Company were, well, nuts and fruit, good for a nibble at my desk. I can't say much about them really! I have a goji berry mix (yuk, can't stand goji berries) and an all nut mix this month. I have noticed the Ludlow Nutters also sell muesli, porridge mixes and cereal bars so they look a little more interesting - maybe you get these in the bigger nutribox?

The Om Bars were nice, I have had 'raw chocolate' before and it can be a little powdery or too squidgy, but the Om Bars are less so. They are very intense, being dairy and sugar free, but give you that chocolate hit which is what I am certainly often looking for!

Overall I really like the Nutribox, it was a good mix of simple things for a health food beginner and more adventurous treats for the die hard health food 'enthusiast.' I used to get Graze boxes but stopped due to the fruit and nuts being a little boring but the other more interesting items being unhealthy (foccaccia, flapjacks etc). Items in the Nutribox is all good healthy food (although despite being health food you should take heed that the protein bars might be more calorific) and it also means you find lots of interesting new small brands. 

I'll be enjoying my next April box, I've already eaten the Bounce Ball (carob and walnuts this time, and it was great) and the chilli cashews.

You can get 25% off your first Nutribox - Join Here. 

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