Some mornings I find myself rushing to leave the house before work, which leaves me with very little time to enjoy a nutritious breakfast. Often times I will grab a granola bar on my way out to tide me over, but so many granola bars are are full of sugar, saturated fats, and other not-so-beneficial additives that will leave you feeling unsatisfied soon after consuming them.

For this recipe, I wanted to bake a wholesome snack bar with a good composition of all three macronutrients: carbohydrate, protein, and fat, which will keep me nourished during the busy mornings that I am not able to sit down and eat a formal breakfast meal at home.

Each bar from this recipe will contain about 1 1/2 servings of carbohydrate (which will aid in fueling your brain and helping you to think clearly), about 5 grams of protein, and an abundance of the heart-healthy unsaturated fats, which will help to keep you feeling satisfied until you are able to have your next meal or snack. Also, the apples add a naturally super-sweet flare to this dish; so even though there is not a lot of added sugars in this recipe, you will still be able to tame your sweet-tooth cravings! Enjoy! 

---

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Rolled oats
• 1 cup Quinoa, (cooked according to package directions)
• 1/4 cup Flax seed, ground 
• 1/2 cup Applesauce, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup Maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 2 cups Apples, chopped (core removed)
• 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped 

---

Directions: 

1. First preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
   

   ---

2. Combine the oats, quinoa, flax seed, cinnamon, and baking soda into a large bowl. 
   

   ---

3. Next, stir in the applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, and the eggs. Stir you achieve a consistently textured mixture. 
   

   ---

4. If you haven’t done so already, remove the peel and core from your apples. Proceed to chop the apples into small chunks.
   

   ---

5. Fold the apples chunks, and the chopped nuts into your mixture in the bowl. Stir until the apple pieces are evenly disbursed throughout the mixture. 
   

   ---

    

   

   

   

   ---

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch square baking pan. Garnish with some additional chopped nuts, if desired. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Cut into 9 bars, and enjoy! 

 

---

Apple cinnamon protein bars Portions: 9 Food Groups Amount Per Portion Grains ½ ounce(s) Whole Grains ½ ounce(s) Fruits ¼ cup(s) Whole Fruit ¼ cup(s) Protein Foods 1 ounce(s) Nuts, Seeds & Soy ½ ounce(s) Oils 1 teaspoon Calories Amount Per Portion Total Calories 193 Calories Added Sugars 24 Calories Saturated Fat 9 Calories Nutrients Amount Per Portion Protein 5 g Carbohydrate 26 g Dietary Fiber 4 g Total Sugars 11 g Added Sugars 6 g Total Fat 8 g Saturated Fat 1 g Monounsaturated Fat 3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 4 g Linoleic Acid 3 g α-Linolenic Acid 1.3 g Omega 3 – EPA 0 mg Omega 3 – DHA 10 mg Cholesterol 36 mg Minerals Amount Per Portion Calcium 76 mg Potassium 214 mg Sodium 73 mg Copper 249 µg Iron 2 mg Magnesium 61 mg Phosphorus 161 mg Selenium 8 µg Zinc 1 mg Vitamins Amount Per Portion Vitamin A 17 µg RAE Vitamin B6 0.1 mg Vitamin B12 0.1 µg Vitamin C 2 mg Vitamin D 0 µg Vitamin E 0 mg AT Vitamin K 1 µg Folate 28 µg DFE Thiamin 0.2 mg Riboflavin 0.2 mg Niacin 0 mg Choline 46 mg www.SuperTracker.usda.gov