Bananarama Power! (a.K.A. Not Your Average Power Bar)

You're busy enough already, so when 3 PM rolls around and your stomach starts to growl, it's understandable that you run to the strategically-placed vending machine down the hall. But we both know that a bag of chips or candy isn't really going to fill you up!

Instead, try one of these healthy, energizing, and (best of all) delicious, snacks. These bananarama power bars are fantastic to prepare over the weekend so that you'll have a tasty grab-and-go breakfast or snack for the rest of the week. These will surely curb your craving for carbs, give you energy, and hold you over for many hours. Plus, they're way healthier than those sugary, processed power bars you find at the store.

Ingredients

  • 2 large, ripe bananas, mashed with a fork

  • 2 cups raw oats

  • 1/2 cup skim milk

  • 1 egg (or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce)

  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 tablespoons organic agave

  • Pinch of salt

  • Either 1/4 cup walnut pieces and 5 large dates, chopped into pieces (my favorite), or a handful of dark chocolate chips


Directions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place batter on greased cookie sheet, shape into individual bars or round cookies, pat down so they are somewhat flat, and cook for about 30 minutes, until they begin to brown.



This article was originally published on The Daily Muse. For more delicious food to get you through the day, check out:


Solmaz is a practicing physician specializing in internal medicine, committed to preventive medicine and mind/body wellness. A graduate of Stanford, she ventured back to her roots on the east coast for med school and residency. She blogs her delicious and healthy recipes as well as hot topics in prevention and wellness at All is Well That Eats Well. Say hi on Twitter @DrSolmazA, "like" her Facebook page to receive recipe updates, or follow her on Pinterest!