I’m a big fan of preparation. As if life in general isn’t busy enough, add 3 kids into the mix, 3 kids that arealways hungry. Making sure they stay fed with real food that isn’t filled with garbage and chemicals, well, it can be difficult if you’re ill-prepared. Hence, I love preparation.
I recently got my act together and was able to prepare a week’s worth of lunches for the 2 kids that are in school. I wanted to do a happy dance, looking at the stacks of lunch containers filled with a rainbow of health in my refrigerator. I was even happier when 8:00am rolled around and all I had to do was grab a container, put it in the lunchbox. Done. No spending my morning chopping, washing last minute containers, making last minute chicken salad. It was a glorious thing.
In an effort to prepare more food for the voracious pack of animals that I call my children, the husband and I are always thinking of ideas for snacks for them. This most recent recipe is all his doing. I’m just the one that handled the kitchen equipment while he suggested the ingredients and process.
Luckily for me, I am married to a man who never stops thinking. Seriously. He’s been thinking about an idea for some sort of seed bars lately and kept asking me to work on something. When I didn’t get around to it, he just laid it all out for me. Literally. He got all the ingredients and laid them out on the counter. He walked me through the process on how he thought these should be made. Iwant to take credit for these, because they are great, but I just can’t.
There are a lot of things to love about these bars. They are compact (easy to pack up and take a bunch with you on a hike), satisfying, and they are raw. The bars are dehydrated at 105 degrees, making sure that the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the fruits and seeds are not killed, therefore ensuring you are eating a live food. You could dehydrate these at a higher temp to reduce the time, but you’d be losing out on the benefits of raw food.
So what about the benefits of the seeds used in these bars? I’m so glad you asked.
Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds
- They have a high diversity of antioxidants, containing Vitamin E in a wide variety of forms.
- They are a very good source ofphosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, and iron.
- Preliminary research indicates pumpkin seed oils can help regulate insulin levels.
- The lignans in pumpkin seeds have anti-bacterial and antimicrobial and anti-viral properties.
Benefits of Flax Seeds
- Flax seeds contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which is beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
- Arecent studyshows that Omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce brain shrinkage associated with aging.
- They are an excellent source of antioxidants, even more than blueberries.
- The antioxidants in flax seeds have been tied to a reduction in insulin resistance.
Benefits of Sesame Seeds
- Sesame seeds are rich in zinc, which is excellent for bone health and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
- They containsesamin, which has been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage.
- Thephytoserolsfound in sesame seeds are believed to enhance the immune response.
- Sesame seeds are an excellent source of copper, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Benefits of Chia Seeds
- Chia seeds contain nearly 11 grams of fiber per ounce.
- Chia is one of the most concentrated sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Ounce-for-ounce, they contain more than salmon.
- Since chia seeds can absorb 12x it’s weight, then can absorb and draw out the toxins in your body.
- Chia is also a great source of calcium, which aids in bone health.
We tried out 3 different variations of these bars, and I’ve got a few others in mind, but this is one of those things you can experiment with and get some great flavors out of. Just look at that beautiful bar above, the color is so vibrant. That’s from the blackberries. When we tasted all three bar flavors to compare them, I was convinced that the blackberry was my favorite, with Rob claiming the Tropical as his favorite. But the more I ate them, the more I loved them all equally. My favorite was always the flavor I was currently eating. Go figure.
So yeah, you really need to make these. The kids were pretty obsessed with them, and they were the perfect mid-morning snack to send to school. Hearing what some of their classmates bring for snacks and lunches, I am so grateful that my kids get excited about healthy food, that they crave it.
And speaking of kids loving healthy food, I’ve got a super kid-friendly veggie recipe I’ll be posting soon. My kids beg for it, daily, so you know it’s gotta be good. But I’m not gonna lie, it’s currently at the top of my most-loved veggies too, and it’s SO good for you. I can’t wait to share it.
Raw Fusion Bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 15 minutes
Dates, fresh fruit, and 4 types of seeds blended together and dehydrated to perfection into chewy, crunchy bars. Three flavor variations, one that contains nuts. Which one will be your favorite?
Ingredients
Strawberry Raw Fusion Energy Bars
- 13 Medjool Dates, about 2 cups, pitted
- 2 cups Fresh Strawberries, hulled
- ¼ cup Flax Seeds
- ¾ cup Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ cup Sesame Seeds
- ⅛ cup Chia Seeds
- Sea Salt, optional
Blackberry Raw Fusion Energy Bars
- 13 Medjool Dates, about 2 cups, pitted
- 2 cups Fresh Blackberries
- ¼ cup Flax Seeds
- ¾ cup Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ cup Sesame Seeds
- ⅛ cup Chia Seeds
- Sea Salt, optional
Tropical Raw Fusion Energy Bars (not nut-free)
- 13 Medjool Dates, about 2 cups, pitted
- 2 cups Fresh Pineapple Chunks, or frozen pineapple, thawed and drained
- Zest from one Orange or 2 tsp Dried Minced Orange Peel, rehydrated in 1 tsp of water
- ½ tsp Dried Ginger
- ¾ cup Macadamia Nuts, replace with pumpkin seeds to make this nut-free, chopped
- ¼ cup Flax Seeds
- ¾ cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- ⅛ cup Chia Seeds
- Sea Salt, optional
Instructions
Strawberry Raw Fusion Energy Bars
- Place strawberries and dates in a food processor or high-powered blender. Process into a slightly chunky puree, not completely smooth.
- Pour fruit puree into a bowl and evenly mix in all the remaining ingredients. If you are using salted pumpkin seeds, omit the sea salt, otherwise salt to taste.
- Spread the mixture onto a food dehydrator tray lined with parchment paper or a dehydrator sheet. The mixture should be about 1/8" thick.
- Dehydrate at 105°F for about 24 hours. After about 12-18 hours, when the top is no longer sticky to the touch and the bottom can easily peel off the parchment/dehydrator sheet, flip the mixture over so the top is now the bottom. This will help evenly dehydrate both sides.
- The bars are done when they have a fruit leather texture, not completely crispy like a cracker.
- Cut into bars using a pizza cutter and store in an airtight container, in a cool dark place.
- Can be stored 6 months - 1 year (less if not in an airtight container and the environment is warmer than 70°F).
Blackberry Raw Fusion Energy Bars
- Place blackberries and dates in a food processor or high-powered blender. Process into a slightly chunky puree, not completely smooth.
- Pour fruit puree into a bowl and evenly mix in all the remaining ingredients. If you are using salted pumpkin seeds, omit the sea salt, otherwise salt to taste.
- Spread the mixture onto a food dehydrator tray lined with parchment paper or a dehydrator sheet. The mixture should be about 1/8" thick.
- Dehydrate at 105°F for about 24 hours. After about 12-18 hours, when the top is no longer sticky to the touch and the bottom can easily peel off the parchment/dehydrator sheet, flip the mixture over so the top is now the bottom. This will help evenly dehydrate both sides.
- The bars are done when they have a fruit leather texture, not completely crispy like a cracker.
- Cut into bars using a pizza cutter and store in an airtight container, in a cool dark place.
- Can be stored 6 months - 1 year (less if not in an airtight container and the environment is warmer than 70°F).
Tropical Raw Fusion Energy Bars
- Place pineapple chunks and dates in a food processor or high-powered blender. Process into a slightly chunky puree, not completely smooth.
- Pour fruit puree into a bowl and evenly mix in all the remaining ingredients. If you are using salted macadamia nuts or pumpkin seeds, omit the sea salt, otherwise salt to taste.
- Spread the mixture onto a food dehydrator tray lined with parchment paper or a dehydrator sheet. The mixture should be about 1/8" thick.
- Dehydrate at 105°F for about 24 hours. After about 12-18 hours, when the top is no longer sticky to the touch and the bottom can easily peel off the parchment/dehydrator sheet, flip the mixture over so the top is now the bottom. This will help evenly dehydrate both sides.
- The bars are done when they have a fruit leather texture, not completely crispy like a cracker.
- Cut into bars using a pizza cutter and store in an airtight container, in a cool dark place.
- Can be stored 6 months - 1 year (less if not in an airtight container and the environment is warmer than 70°F).
