No more excuses to skip breakfast with this very simple
recipe including bananas, oats, your choice of nuts and dried fruits.
I am a victim of
wanting a quick and easy breakfast on-the-go as I try to get through the door,
and to be honest, my granola bar and Greek yogurt routine could be better. With the new 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines
suggesting we cut our sugar intake to no more than 10% of our total calories,
we need to caution added sugar in our processed food products, especially the
healthy-looking granola bars and protein-rich Greek Yogurts.
I had been staring at these lonely ripened bananas on my
counter and realized they would be better baked in something then added to my
overnight oats as a mushy topping. I
came across a wonderful recipe via thekitchn.com for 4-ingredient Banana Oat
Bars. In my version, I ended up using
the 3 small bananas and I added in shredded coconut, whole almonds, chia seeds
and pumpkin pie spice (I am a New Englander that is obsessed with anything
pumpkin flavored).
Looking back, I would
have added the vanilla extract which was optional and dried fruits that were
included. In addition, I would have
chopped the nuts to make it easier to cut than rather it looking like a square
of trail mix. Take a look and let me
know your thoughts and creative modifications!
•3 small, ripe bananas (2 large also works), peeled
•2c Rolled Oats
•1/2 t salt
•1/4c almonds, or nuts of choice (recommend chopped)
•1 T chia seeds
•1/4c shredded coconut
•sprinkle of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice •Would recommend
1/4c dried fruit to add more flavor, i.e. raisins, dates, or apricots would be
delicious
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and set aside a 9 x 9
baking dish (lightly greased).
Start mashing the bananas in a bowl until it becomes a
smooth liquid (I used a large fork).
Then mix in the the remaining ingredients; hold off on the nutmeg if you
plan to use as just a topping when the mixture is formed in the pan. Make sure to pat the oat mixture until it is
flat in the pan. Bake for 25-30 mins or
until golden brown on the sides. Set
aside after they are cooked to your liking and then cut into squares once
cooled. For a protein bonus, I spread one 1T nut butter on top. Enjoy!
About the Author:
Kathryn Pfeffer is an RDN in Boston
and writes her own blog at http://onehungrybunny.com where she shares her
culinary adventures bite by bite. She is an experienced
clinical dietitian in an acute and rehabilitation hospital in
the Boston area and recently completed her first marathon in May.
