Goodbye Larabars! Hello, Homemade Raw Chocolate Chia Energy Bars, Loaded with Omega-3s & Antioxidants

Raw Chocolate Chia Walnut Energy Bars

 

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The only food I really still miss on my Esselstyn-style diet is Larabars--those yummy fruit & nut bars that are so darn convenient when you need a portable quick hunger-quenching snack. 

Explanation: Nuts are not Esselstyn-friendly foods, except for walnuts, and only for those without heart disease.

My fave was Cashew Cookie, made with just cashews & dates--but when you look at the omega-6 content for cashews....it's sky high.  And since most Larabars weigh in at 190-240 calories, and have 10-14 grams of fat per bar, I'm postivie that cutting out my daily Larabar helped contribute to my new-found weight-loss--which by the way--I am loving.

But still...on days when I exercise a lot, or have to miss or delay a meal, it sure would be nice to have a convenient Larabar.

Even Dr. Esselstyn gives the go-ahead for eating walnuts if you don't have heart disease--in moderation of course.  Too bad, none of the Larabars are made with just walnuts.  The closest they come is a mix of almonds (the first nut ingredient) & walnuts in the Apple Pie Larabar.  So, that's why I've resorted to making  my own.

Here's how the nuts used in Larabars stack up by saturated fat, and omega-6:omega-3 ratios

Cashews:   12.5% saturated fat     117:1  omega-6 to omega-3 ratio

Almonds:     6.0% saturated fat   1800:1  omega-6 to omega-3 ratio

Walnuts:     8.0% saturated fat        4:1  omega-6 to omega-3 ratio  It's the Nut with the highest amount of omega-3s

Peanuts:     15.0% saturated fat   1659:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio

If you need a refresher about why we should care about Omega-3s & Omega-6s and their effect on health & disease, click here.

The ideal goal for our daily intake of omega-6s to omega-3s is: 1:1 or 2:1, but most experts would say that 4:1 is fantastic, considering that the typical Western diet is 17:1.

 

My New Favorite Fruit-Nut Energy Bar--The Homemade Raw Chocolate-Chia Bar

 

I found this recipe in the January 2010 issue of Vegetarian Times, and it was developed by Mary Margaret Chappell.  Chappell's bar uses blanched almonds, so I just subbed walnuts instead.

These bars have it all! 

• Heart healthy unsweetened unprocessed no-fat cocoa.  Cocoa powder has all the benefits of chocolate without the fat & calories.  It lowers inflammation, increases HDLs, and has the potential to slow or prevent atherosclerosis.  This comes from straight from a 2009 Spanish study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Cocoa has more flavonoids than tea or red wine and it improves lipid profiles and insulin sensitivity, lowers blood pressure (click here), reduces platelet activity, and keeps the lining of blood vessels flexible and healthy.  Click here to read more about the benefits of cocoa. This recipe provides about 1/2 tablespoon of pure cooca in every bar--all that's needed to accrue the health benefits.
• Chia seeds, the omega-3 antioxidant powerhouse that is high in fiber, keeps your blood sugar steady, and decreases inflammation.  Click here and here to read more.  This recipe provides a heaping 1/2 tablespoon of chia per serving, which is about 1,370 mg. of omega-3s.
• Walnuts have the highest amount of omega-3s of all the nuts.  But it gets even better.  A recent study out of Yale published in Diabetes Care, February 2010 found that type-2 diabetics who ate walnuts for 8 weeks significantly improved their endothelial function (measured by the brachial artery test)--which is the flexibility of arteries--and an important measure of arterial health.  Too bad the study chose to use such a large amount of walnuts--2 ounces and 366 calories worth--equivalent to about 1/2 cup of walnuts!  Click here for the study.  This recipe provides a little less than 1/2 an ounce of walnuts per serving.
• Dates have one of the highest ORAC antioxidant rankings of any of the dried fruits--at 3895 for 1/4 cup.  This recipe provides about 2.5 tablespoons of dates per serving.
• Honestly, these bars are one of the best tasting bars I've eaten--and I can't wait for you try them yourselves.  The nuts, the chocolate, and crunch of the chia, combine to make something that's a cross between a chewy brownie & a Nestle's Crunch bar.
• Warning:  Allow yourself only one--and make sure it's on a day that you've really put in a hard work-out! It would be very easy to eat 3 of these at one time.
  

 

Raw Chocolate-Chia Energy Bars

 

Click here to view the recipe on one page, suitable for printing

Makes 10 bars

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pitted dates (Warning:  pinch each date carefully to be sure the pit has been removed!  An errant pit will stop your food processor cold!)

1/3 cup raw usweetened (& undutched) cocoa powder

1/3 cup whole chia seeds, such as Salba (use the white ones--it looks prettier)

3/4 tsp vanilla extract, optional

1 cup raw walnut pieces

Oat flour for dusting

Preparation

1.  Place dates in bowl of food processor; puree until thick paste forms.  If the dates are on the dry side, you may need to add small amounts of warm water to moisten them up--and make it easier to mix in the other ingredients.  But, be careful to do this slowly, and not overdo it.

2.  Add cocoa powder, chia seeds, and vanilla, if using.  Pulse until all ingredients are combined.

3. Add walnuts; pulse until nuts are finely chopped and well distributed through date mixture.

4. Spread large sheet of wax paper on work surface, and dust with oat flour, if using

5.  Transfer date mixture to wax paper, and press mixture into 1/2 inch thich rectangle.  Wrap tightly with the waxed paper, and then with foil.  Chill overnight.

6.  Unwrap block, and cut into 10 bars.  Dust edges and sides with oat flour,  if using, to prevent sticking.  Wrap each bar in waxed paper & store in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information, 1/10 of the recipe.

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Raw Chocolate-Chia Energy Bars
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	166
Total Fat	9.1g
Saturated Fat	1.1g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	1mg
Carbohydrate	22.4g
Dietary Fiber	4.6g
Sugars	15.4g
Protein	3.3g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% Calcium    3% Iron 5%

Processing the Dates into a Thick Paste

Adding in the Chia Seed & Cocoa

 Mixing Up the Dates, Chia, Vanilla, & Cocoa

Adding the Walnuts into the Mix

Mixing it All Up - So Easy!

 

Forming the Mixture into a Rectangle

Voila!  10 Scrumptious Bars

http://www.bellplantation.com/products

 Packing Them Up to Store in the Fridge - Sprinkled with Oat Flour

 If anyone out there gives these bars a try, please let me know how they turn out for you!!

The No-fat Peanut Butter News Flash!  My friend Yaz emailed me on Wednesday to let me know she saw a Brand New Item at Trader Joe's: pure roasted peanut "flour" with nothing more than 100% roasted peanuts, for $3.49 a pound. 

She figured it could make peanut butter just as well as PB2 does, which costs $3.99 + shipping, for just 6.5 ounces--almost 4 times as much as TJ's peanut flour.  Plus, Trader Joe's product has no salt or sugar added to it--good for health--not so good for taste. 

Coincidently, right after Yaz' email I checked out Emily Malone's Front Burner blog--and lo and behold, she had just posted a taste test comparison matching PB2 with the "peanut butter" made with Trader's Joe's Peanut Flour.  Check it out here. 

I picked up a bag of the peanut flour last night on my way home from work, and my husband, the peanut butter maven--who swears by PB2--and yes, he had just ordered & received a dozen jars of it last week--offered to be my taste-tester later today!  I'll let you know if it's up to the PB maven's standards.

The PB Maven's (my husband) preliminary taste test results for TJ's peanut flour PB: "It's great!  Can't tell any difference."  I did add a tiny bit of salt, and a bit 'o honey.  Yum!

 

 

Comments

[Williamk]

These bars look terrific -- seriously tempting. My favorite vegan/organic/cold-pressed bar has always been the Organic Food Bars -- the original (http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/organic_food_bar-original.htm) plus other flavors -- but yours are better calorie and omega-3 wise for sure. Thanks for sharing. BTW, what the omega-3 status of peanuts in the TJ peanut flour?

[Judy Crockett]

Sounds great. Would anything bad happen if you taosted the walnuts for extra flavor?

[Jenna Puckett]

I wonder if you can do the same thing with almond flour? I've always like almonds way more than peanuts.

[Steven Rice Fitness]

It's not often I read a recipe and actually prepare it, but this will be an exception. I love and already eat everything here, but not in this combination. I have (another) new trainer job so I'm going to need snack food.

A few weeks ago the "nut guy" at the farmers market told me when I asked about his lack of walnuts that they are harvested in October, so any others I found had been sitting around all year, probably gassed.

I think you mean "pitted" not "unpitted" in the recipe.

[Gael in Vermont]

You are TOO much, Deb!!!!! I love the idea of these bars. I don't live near a Trader Joe's so I'll have to find some other source for chia seeds. Is there a substitute by any chance. I'm definitely trying these. I'm also thinking they wouldn't be bad with a touch of espresso powder to make them...mocha flavored! And, yes, I'd surely toast the walnuts to amp up the flavor. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Healthy Librarian]

William,

Peanuts are not a good source of omega-3s--the idea of using PB2 or Trader Joe's peanut flour is because you get the flavor, protein, & nutrients of peanuts without the fat--and the omega-6 content drops down considerably in defatted peanut flour compared to the full-fat version. I always top my PB2 muffins with chia or flax. But, that's about all I know.

Judy,

Sure, toasting the walnuts would make this even more delicious! Great idea--but another step in the process.

Jenna,

I like your idea of trying to make "almond butter" out of almond flour--I wonder if almond butter is defatted, like peanut flour--I'll have to check the labels--but it makes sense to me. I like almond butter a lot more than peanut butter, too!

Gael,

You can find chia seeds at any health food store, and many grocery stores, these days. It's widely available. Actually, Trader Joe's doesn't have the chia. That's where I found the inexpensive peanut flour.

Steven,

Let me know if you make the bars--and how they turn out.

[Sugar Pie]

These bars sound great--except for the 15.4g of, albeit naturally-occurring, sugar. High ORAC ranking or not, I gave up Larabars, myself, because the high natural sugar content was spacing me out so much.

Though yours sound so scrumptious--maybe I could just make them half the size! If you have other ideas of how to make them with fewer dates, I'd love to hear about it! Thanks so much for your inspiration!

By the by, what kind of dates did you use? And I wonder what kind are used in Larabars? I think there might be quite a difference in sugar content. But maybe I'm just super-sensitive to sugar since according to this http://www.livestrong.com/article/193428-calories-in-date-fruit/ all dates are considered low-glycemic...

[Hank]

We tried the PB2. Tasted okay, too sweet (and smooth not crunchy, alas). Still as tempting as peanut butter. Ate several PB sandwiches the first day,

Bad gas and the runs the next day.

I thought, oh, coincidence. Waited a week, tried another PB2 sandwich. Same, er, outcome.

It's composted.

Eagerly awaiting reviews of the peanut flour.

[Healthy Librarian]

My husband thought the peanut flour tasted just fine--we added some salt & sweetner--but you could leave it out, Hank.

For anyone else reading this--my husband has no GI issues with PB2 at all--and he has a sensitive stomach.

Not sure what caused your GI distress, Hank. So sorry it didn't work out for you!

[Nina]

These sound great and are similar to the delicious Clif Nectar Dark Chocolate Walnut bars that have been discontinued.

The brachial artery test sounds like a very useful diagnostic. Is it available to the general public anywhere?

Here is an article by Dr. Esselstyn describing the procedure.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0876/is_97/ai_n21193775/?tag=content;col1

[Healthy Librarian]

Jenna,

Unfortunately, the only almond flour I saw in stores was from Bob's Red Mill & it was loaded with fat--14 grams for 1/4 cup serving. I'm assuming the peanut flour at TJ's & from PB2 is defatted, and that's why it's so low in fat. Too bad the almond flour won't work!

[Virtual_jk]

We give these the 3littlegirls seal of approval. Everyone loves them. They were super easy to make--except I had to run to the store for cocoa in the middle. Your pictures were helpful, too. Thanks! I love that these are low in omega-6s. My only complaint is that clean up requires soaking and then some elbow grease to get off the sticky dates.

[Healthy Librarian]

Hi JK,

Happy to hear from you! I'm thrilled to get a 3littlegirls seal of approval!! It's time for me to make a brand new batch--I've run out

[Betsy]

The chocolate chia bars is a great recipe! My 15yo son and I loved these -- and he's a typical teenage boy (read: no health nut). I think he ate more than I did, but then he can afford to. Mine weren't really raw, I guess, since I just used the Hershey's cocoa I had in the cupboard. I added a little water to the dates to make the paste, since the dates had been in the fridge awhile. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. We'll definitely make these again. Thank you!

[Betty Amer]

I made the bars with Medjool dates--only had black chia but they worked out fine since the bars are dark anyway. I also toasted the walnuts (not much extra work using a toaster oven, and I like the flavor better). I really like them as a nutritious snack, and I'm so glad you posted about them.

[Emily]

I made this bars today after reading your blog last night and becoming inspired to make some changes in my diet (which I've been feeling ill at ease with lately but lacked the umpf to tackle). Anyway, the bars are quite tasty, but I didn't have any oat flour so tried ground flax seed instead. Personally, I like the flavor of flax, so while more textural than oat flour, it seemed to work as a substitution. Maybe my food processor is too small, but I found the dates to be really hard to deal with! They kept clumping into a ball rather than forming a paste. After many stops and starts to get them spread around I finally had a paste.

[Healthy Librarian]

Emily, glad the flax worked out OK for you. The only reason for the oat flour is to "de-stickify" the bars. If you aren't going to stack them, it wouldn't be a problem if you didn't sprinkle them with anything.

I didn't think they really needed to have the oat flour--I just stacked them on waxed paper. If the dates are too clumpy, they may be a bit dry--and it's hard to know which are going to be too dry. I've had to add some sprinkles of water when I had a dry batch of dates. Some people even soak them in water & then pour the water off. But I agree with you--the mixing of the dates was the hardest part.

[Steven Rice Fitness]

I finally got around to making these for my Thanksgiving trip from California to Ohio. They turned out great, and helped sustain this hungry vegan. My miniature food processor did have a struggle, but a better one should do fine.

[Cindy Marsch]

Just made these and am enjoying a small serving before grading more papers this Saturday afternoon. I don't have a food processor, so I tried it in my Vita Mix and got a little worried about burning out the motor--had to keep scraping out the sticky dates and finally mixing the other things in on a plate at the end. But never fear, they turned out great. I didn't have chia seeds, so I used flax meal instead.

To have more manageable serving sizes (calorically), I divided the recipe into 16 balls, for about 110 calories apiece. Then to quick-chill I divided one ball into three marbles and stuck them in the freezer. Very nice size, and about 40 calories each--good to remember. :-)

Thanks!

[Healthy Librarian]

Cindy, yikes, I know just what you mean about worrying about the VitaMix motor burning out. I got an errant pit caught in the processor blade & almost burned out the motor--luckily it just stopped. Forgot to mention that if the dates are too dry, it's best to add a little water to the mixture. Try some chia, next time-it's got a nice texture & crunch! Glad to hear your version worked well. Like the idea of making balls & chilling quickly.

[Chris G.]

I finally made these. AWESOME! I also tried a variation on the theme, adding ~12 oz of *apricots* to the dates and no cocoa. Different flavor (obviously) but equally yummy. I am happy to no longer buy expensive and omega-6-laden Larabars or other pre-made bars. THANK YOU!

[Chris G.]

Finally made these...wonderful.

Tried a variation too: +~ 1 cup dried apricots; no cocoa or vanilla; bars pressed into in a porcelain baking pan. Seemed as good as the original, yet a nice variation with additional vitamin A and C

[JF]

So good. My kids are excited about having a new lunch box treat. I can feel good about packing them these.

[Lynn]

I made the chia bars and they didn't come out as plump as yours, more like a fruit rollup size. Maybe I pressed them out too much. But...I love the way they taste.

[The Healthy Librarian]

Dates can have variable amounts of water in them. You want to use very fresh plump dates. Might that have been the problem? When my dates aren't moist enough, I've added drops of water.