High Energy, Healthy Snack Recipes

An Ode to the Blueberry as a Snack

1) Healthy Blueberry Bars are an easy, gluten free, real-food recipe sweetened with dates, a bit of maple syrup, and delicious frozen blueberries. These “grab-and-go breakfast or snack bars” are relatively healthy snacks that can be a good quick-energy option that you can keep handy in reusable snack bags or in a freezer container.
*Gluten Free

Yield: Cut the bars into 16 regular square bars or cut once down the middle and then the opposite way 6 times for 12 longer bars Prep time: prep-10 mins, cook-20 mins,total 30 mins

Nutrition Information

Directions:
1. Measure the frozen blueberries into a bowl and let them sit on the counter while proceeding with the recipe.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving extra on 2 sides to act as handles to remove bars (or grease the pan and cut bars in the pan).
3. If you need to chop the nuts finely, add them to the bowl of a food processor and whir until fine. Remove them to a bowl for later.
4. Into the food processor, measure 1 cup of rolled oats and whir until fine to make oat flour, about 15 seconds. To the oat flour add almond flour and salt, pulse a couple times to mix.
5. Add the dates to the mixture in the processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add butter or oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and egg. Process about 15 seconds until mixture starts to come together. Add remaining 3/4 cup of oats and pulse about 10 times to mix.
6. Toss the thawing blueberries into processor and pulse a few times. The mixture will turn purple in areas, but should still have some whole berries remaining.
7. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, pressing down to spread evenly. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and press lightly down to help adhere to the bars.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes until just starting to brown around the edges. Place pan on a wired rack to cool completely before cutting (or set in the freezer for about an hour to hurry it along).
9. Store in the fridge for 1 week and freeze for up to 3 months.
Source Found online from Author: Jami Boys @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!

2) Blueberry baked oatmeal bars—tasty, dessert-like treat with decent carbs, fiber, protein

Yield: 12 servings Prep time: 35-40 minutes

Nutrition Information (per bar): Calories: 140; Total Fat: 2 grams: Saturated Fat: 1 gram; Monosaturated Fat: 1 gram; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 gram; Trans Fat: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 31 milligrams; Sodium: 130 milligrams; Potassium: 82 milligrams; Total Carbohydrates: 26 grams; Dietary Fiber: 3 grams; Sugars: 10 grams; Protein: 4 grams

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick, one-minute oats)
• 1 cup of nonfat milk
• 1 pint or 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F. Spray a 9” x 13” pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, applesauce, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth.
3. Stir in salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Once combined, stir in milk and oats. Fold in blueberries (fresh or frozen) and spread in pan.
4. Bake for 26-32 minutes until oatmeal bake is browned and center appears cooked and not mushy.
5. Cool before serving. Can be eaten alone or served with plain or vanilla yogurt
6. Store in the refrigerator for two to three days. Freeze any leftovers individually for quick and easy snacks or breakfasts. Reheat oatmeal in microwave from frozen or thawed.
Source: Allie Wergin, registered dietitian nutritionist, Mayo Clinic Health System, New Prague

3. Gluten-Free & diabetic-friendly Blueberry Zucchini Muffins – Yum!

Yield: 12 muffins Prep time: Total: 35 mins to make, Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted (you can sub coconut oil if desired)
• 2 large eggs beaten
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup avocado oil or another cooking oil of your choice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1 ¼ cups rolled oats ground into powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup fresh zucchini spirals chopped
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line your muffin tins with paper liners, silicone liners, or spray the tins with cooking spray.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine the applesauce, melted butter, eggs, maple syrup, avocado oil and vanilla extract. Whisk together well. Set the bowl aside.
3. In a second bowl, combine the almond flour, ground oats, baking soda, and baking powder and whisk together until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently mix everything together with a large rubber spatula until well combined. Add the blueberries and chopped zucchini spirals to the batter and gently mix to combine.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into each muffin tin. You will prepare 12 muffins.
6. Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops are nice and golden brown.
7. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Then carefully transfer the muffins out of the muffin tin and onto a cooling rack.
8. If stored in an airtight container, Gluten Free Blueberry Zucchini Muffins will keep on the counter for about 48 hours, in refrigerator for about 5 days, and in freezer for up to 3 months.
Source Mary Ellen Phipps, MPH, RDN, LD, diabetes dietitian (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) and founder of Milk & Honey Nutrition, online at https://www.milkandhoneynutrition.com/recipes/gluten-free-blueberry-zucchini-muffins/

4) Frozen blueberries—On a hot day, these are such a good snack! Very easy to “prepare”

Yield: however many blueberries you put in a bowl in the freezer Prep time: 5 mins, then freeze

Nutrition Information; for ¾ cup about 18 carbs, 1 g fat, 1 g protein

Ingredients: just blueberries

Directions: Get some blueberries, rinse them off, clean off any dirt or stems, put in freezer overnight (works with grapes and pitted cherries and raspberries too, amazingly, it’s the same recipe)

Source Anonymous