Remember my friend Kristen who shared that delicious Valentine’s Day date night recipe last month? Well, she’s back! This time she has an awesome recipe for moms, called The Hungry Lady Snack Bars. I tried one and can 100% say they are without any doubt, the best snack bar I have ever had. I am sure you’ll enjoy the recipe and the story of how she came up with the recipe too.

Hungry Lady Snack Bars

When The Chirping Moms asked me to contribute another recipe to their site, a nearby friend had just had a baby and I was in the midst of bringing her a meal and, as I always do for new moms, these snack bars. Given that The Chirping Moms are in the business of helping moms navigate this amazing journey called motherhood, these bars seemed a great contribution. They have fueled me through those early months of nursing, hectic soccer/dance schedules when I just need something to grab and go, and post workout hunger.

So, these snack bars came about eight years ago, when I was a brand new mom to twins. I was nursing them around the clock, and if you’re a mom who has nursed, you know there is nothing like nursing hunger (it’s a thing!)! And if you’re a mom who has nursed twins, well, that beastly hunger is like nothing I’ve ever known. I mean, I’ve trained for marathons, but even after my most strenuous 22 mile training runs, my appetite did not compare to what it was when I was nursing my babies. I seriously could not stop eating. But, partly because I always try to eat healthy and partly because I cared about getting back in shape, I wanted to make smart eating choices. I needed snacks that were satisfying but easy to make, snacks that provided protein and complex carbs, snacks that could be thrown in a baggie and taken along on my walks with the twins. And then one day, amidst the chaos of nursing, burping, and changing two babies, a dear friend dropped off some granola bars and while they were not exactly what I was craving, they inspired me.

So I bundled up the babies, walked to the closest market and bought the makings of what would become my go-to nursing snack: oats, seeds, nuts, dried fruit. These wholesome bars now come along with us on hikes and picnics; they’re packed in school lunches and beach baskets; they’re perfect in the morning with a cup of coffee or after a tough workout at the gym. And, whenever a friend has a baby, they’re part of the first meal that I deliver to her. Nursing or not, we moms need to fuel ourselves in order to take care of others. So, do yourself and your family a favor, make these and share them with some friends.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cups of whole oats
• 3/4 cup of white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of real maple syrup
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil (or canola)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup dried fruit (unsweetened dried cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots work well)
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup of sliced raw almonds
• 1/2 cup of unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• cooking spray

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix the oats, flour, cinnamon, and salt together.
3. In a large bowl, mix the maple syrup, apple sauce, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ones, and mix well.
5. Add the dried fruit and nuts, incorporate well.
6. Spray a 5 x 5 baking pan with cooking spray, pour in granola mixture, and use a spoon to spread the mixture out evenly.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes. Allow it to cool and then slice it into 12 squares.
8. Eat and repeat.

Recipe and story by Kristen Mider

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