Hemp and Chia Seed Energy Bars

Is it enough to say that these are good for you? That you can make a pan of them, wrap them up and have easy snacking for many days? That you could use this as template to add a few of your favourite additions?  If that is how you roll, scroll on down to the recipe. If, on the other hand, you made yourself a tea and you are doing some deep couch sitting and you were hoping for story time that creates visions of the relationship you will have with these bars, then read on friends.

You could be reading an award winning novel, but instead, you are going to learn about your bowels. Still here? We hear lots about fibre for bowel health. How does fibre help with bowel health anyway? Well, of course it makes up the bulk of the stool so that you can easily eliminate your waste, but it also absorbs excess hormones and waste products to get rid of them, helps you feel full after you eat and keeps blood sugars more balanced. But there is more. Fibre is also the main food source for the good bacteria that live inside of you. When they have lots to eat, they have a better chance of thriving. Those good guys don't just help with digestion but with immunity and emotional health too.

The seeds in these bars are also a great source of omega 3's for brain, heart and skin health as well as combating other body inflammation. They can also be easily made nut free, gluten free and vegan and contain lots of unaltered, raw ingredients.

Hemp and Chia Seed Energy Bars

Dry Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups organic oats (gluten-free if needed)

1/2 cup organic hemp seeds

1/2 cup organic chia seeds

1/4 cup organic flaxseeds (freshly ground)

3/4 cups organic almonds (freshly ground in tiny pieces) or sunflower seeds if needing a nut free option

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic raw honey (or palm nectar or agave for vegan)

1/2 cup organic applesauce (if you have a high powered blender you can just add a cut up apple and puree)

3/4 cups organic nut nutter of choice, or seed butter for nut free

1/2 cup organic coconut oil (melted into a liquid)

1 1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

Instructions:

1) Put flax-seeds into a coffee grinder and grind into a powder. Set aside.

2) Put almonds (or sunflower seeds) into a food processor and process until they are in tiny pieces. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together (oats, hemp seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, ground almonds).

4) In a medium sized bowl, mix all wet ingredients together (raw honey or other liquid sweetener, applesauce, nut butter, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract - if you are using a fresh apple, just put all the wet ingredients in a blender to combine).

5) Take the wet ingredient mixture and combine in the large bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until well combined, using your hands if needed.

6) Put the mixture in an 8 x 8 glass baking dish and press firmly.

7) Put in the refrigerator or freezer to chill or until firm.

8) Cut into even size bars or smaller sized squares.

Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve because they will get soft if left out at room temperature. They can also be individually wrapped and kept in the freezer for a convenient snack.

You know what we are going to say next, right? You could dress these up to personalize them with things like unsweetened coconut shreds, goji berries, mini chocolate chips, dried apple bits, crystallized ginger… you get the point. Enjoy!

Posted by Amy Buckman, photo and recipe courtesy of Arielle Fitzgerald, Wellness Advisor at Amaranth Whole Foods Market, Arbour Lake.