Are sugary energy bars lurking in your pantry, posing as health food? Beware of candy bar imposters! Be smart. Inspect the nutrition label for extra fat, sugar and other chemicals that rob your brain or body of what it really needs- good nutrition.
In our “brain bar”, walnuts provide brain-loving omega-3 fatty acids while cinnamon adds natural sweetness and antioxidants that may help decrease harmful inflammation in the brain and body. So go ahead, “grab and go”.
Cinnamon Walnut Brain Bars
Are sugary energy bars lurking in your pantry, posing as health food? Beware of candy bar imposters! Be smart. Inspect the nutrition label for extra fat, sugar and other chemicals that rob your brain or body of what it really needs- good nutrition.In our “brain bar”, walnuts provide brain-loving omega-3 fatty acids while cinnamon adds natural sweetness and antioxidants that may help decrease harmful inflammation in the brain and body. So go ahead, “grab and go”.Cinnamon Walnut Brain Bars
Ingredients
- 1 c. toasted walnuts or almonds
- 1 ½ c. raisins
- 5 brown rice cakes
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Dried ginger
- 1 tbsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Orange juice
Instructions
- Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- Add raisins and pulse until it makes a sticky paste.
- Add rice cakes and pulse until mixture is fine and fluffy.
- Add cinnamon, vanilla, orange juice and pulse until sticky.
- In a 8 x 8 inch glass baking pan, spread bar mixture evenly across pan. Cover with plastic wrap and press into the bottom of the pan to evenly distribute.
- Remove wrap and cut into 12 bars.
- If you prefer a crisp bar, place bars on a baking sheet and place in a 250 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
Snacking can often derail any healthy diet. So stay on track to make every calorie carry cargo, high in nutrients, to your brain. Minding what you eat can help you protect your brain from disease. For more recipes for brain health, go to:
https://healthybrains.org/recipes/
Recipe adapted from our Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials team. For nutritional information please see: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2016/03/recipe-toasted-walnut-raisin-energy-bar/
