Enjoying an oat bar in between meals is a great way to receive a midday energy boost. Whether you're facing a long day ahead or simply need the motivation to get through your next meeting, snacking on an oat bar can help keep your mind and body functioning as they should. Loaded with protein and fiber, oat bars will provide a wide array of nutrients that you may not be getting from your morning meal. Far from boring, the delicious taste of oat bars is so enticing, you'll forget all about your favorite candy bar.
When it comes to planning out healthy snacks ahead of time, not much is more accessible than a delicious oat bar. If your schedule is running thin and you don't have the time to make a healthy homemade snack, store-bought oat bars are an excellent option. While most oat-bars are loaded with good-for-you ingredients, some varieties are better left on the shelves. To help you choose the most nutritious oat bar money can buy, we put together a list of what to look for in store-bought oat bars and the benefits they provide. Keep scrolling to get started!
The adverse health effects of unnatural sugar are presenting themselves more and more each day. Consuming an abundance of foods and snacks high in sugar negatively impacts your health and, over time, can cause your overall wellness to decline. This being so, you'll want to avoid processed sugar as much as possible and stick to consuming natural sugars instead. Natural sugars, like fruit sugars, work in a much different way. While too much of anything can be a bad thing, natural sugars are much better for you than processed ones. When searching for healthy oat bars, check that the sugars listed are as natural as possible. Ideally, you'll want to choose an oat bar with ten grams or less. Organic honey, fruits and organic tapioca syrup are all clean sugars that you can consume without worry.
What would an oat bar be without oats? Using high-quality, wholesome oats to make your bars is the first step to creating an excellent snack. Oats will add bulk and texture to your bars that many other grains can't provide. Additionally, because of their versatility, oats taste (and bake) great when combined with other ingredients. From salty and sweet to savory and spicy, the many mix-ins you can add to oat-based bars are endless.
Depending on the other ingredients in your oat bar recipe, you'll want to make sure that a proper binder is added to your bars. A binding agent like chia seeds works to bring all of the recipe ingredients together to turn it into the bar-like texture that you know and love. While honey, nut butter and eggs can be used to bind ingredients together, chia seeds are among the few low-allergy binding ingredients. A tiny superfood packed full of omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber; they're an excellent way to build your ideal oat bar.
When it comes to choosing a healthy and delicious treat, oat bars are the way to go. Now that you know what to look for in store-bought oat bars and the ingredients to use to make your own, it's time to put that knowledge to use! If you're on a tight schedule and don't have time to make a batch of oat bars this week, head to the store and pick up your favorite flavor of Bob's Bars. Made with simple, clean ingredients, they're a high protein, low sugar snack that both children and adults can enjoy guilt-free. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, have a happy and oat-filled day!
Have a favorite oat bar recipe that you'd like to share? Let us know more about the healthy ingredients you use in the comments below. We can't wait to hear from you!
