Smart Bars from Eat! Move! Play!

This month we’re featuring Weight Watchers new book Eat! Move! Play!, which encourages you to feed your children healthfully and to get them moving all in an effort to lay a good foundation for a healthy future.

You can read our other articles in the series here:

• Eat! Move! Play! Review & Giveaway
• Eat! Move! Play! from Weight Watchers
• Hummus!
• Get Playing! Get Moving!

Today, I’m going to share one of the yummy recipes from the cookbook section of Eat! Move! Play! While I haven’t made it yet, after thumbing through the book last night in search of snacky recipes, I think this one will be a hit with my family. Let’s face it. It’s summer, and having the kids home means more meals and snacks at home (or at the park), and the same-old-same-old gets, well, OLD.

If you happen to make this recipe, please come back and let us know what you think!

SMART BARS
SERVES 32

Prep 10 minutes
Bake 20 minutes

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 large eggs

1 ripe banana

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Combine the oats, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, apricots, pecans, raisins, cranberries, dry milk, flour, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the syrup, eggs, banana, and vanilla and pulse until well combined.

3. Transfer the mixture to the pan, wet your fingertips with cool water, and press down to level the surface. Bake until the mixture is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

4. Cool in the pan and cut into 32 bars.

Per serving (1 bar): 83 Cal, 3 g Fat, 0 g Sat Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 14 mg Chol, 11 mg Sod, 12 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 3 g Prot, 27 mg Calc.

Kids Can . . .

Peel the banana, then moisten their hands and use their fingertips to press the bar mixture into the pan as evenly as possible.

Tags: apricots, bananas, children, cinnamon, cranberries, easy, Eat! Move! Play!, fun, homemade granola, kid friendly, kids in the kitchen, let your kid cook, pecans, raisins, smart bars, snack, snack bars, summertime, sunflower seeds, Weight Watchers, wheat germ

Category: Appetizer, Dessert, EAT IT