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Loaded nut & seed granola bars that are packed with protein and wholesome ingredients that will fill you up! We also like to break the bars up into chunks and eat it like cereal with coconut milk!
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a major germaphobe. I wash my hands constantly, I wipe everything down with wipes, and you won’t catch me touching my eyes, nose or mouth when I’m in public. Somehow, even after all of these precautions, I still catch a cold a few times a year, especially when I was in college.
I would go to class and be stuck next to someone who was coughing or sneezing, and there was nothing I could do about it. The only way I could try to protect myself was by taking my daily vitamins, eating healthy, and drinking immune boosting drinks to flush my system and build my defenses. I’m sure that I would have gotten sick a lot more if I didn’t take these precautions.
Booster Kit Necessities
My mom always taught me to be prepared, so I always had a booster kit with me just in case I need it. I could leave it in my room, take it in the car, pack it for vacation, or throw it in my backpack if I had a long day of school ahead of me.
Even though I’ve graduated from college, I still keep a booster kit handy. The essentials I get from Walmart and always keep in my kit are…
Advil Liqui-Gels: Use as directed. I take these as soon as I feel a headache or cramps coming on. Nothing’s faster on tough pain (among OTC pain relievers).
- Muscle ache
- Headache
- Joint pain
- Advanced Liquid fast relief
Emergen-C: If I feel a cold starting or if people around me are sick, I add this to my glass of water in the morning to boost my immune system to fight off the cold.
- More Healthy Days, More Healthy Nights
- “Let Your Healthy Out”
- With over 20 varieties of vitamin supplement drink mixes, Emergen-C offers the formula, flavor, fix, and FUN you’re looking for!
Centrum MultiGummy: I take one of these every morning with my breakfast. I want to make sure I get my daily vitamins in the morning so I start my day with a boost!
- 100% daily value or more of Vitamins D, B12, and E
- Gluten-free
- Contains no wheat, milk, soy, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish or shellfish
- Supports energy, immunity, and metabolism.
- A multi-benefit gummy multivitamin
And of course, a healthy snack! Granola bars are so easy to make and perfect for a quick breakfast or after-class snack. I love being able to pack them full of healthy ingredients that I know are good for my body.
The best part about making your own granola bars is being able to control the amount of sugar that goes into them and really loading them up with your favorite nuts and seeds!
Loaded Nut & Seed Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 3½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 cup organic coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup whole almonds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup cashews
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, coconut oil, and salt. Mix thoroughly, so each oat is lightly coated in oil. Lay the oats on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted. Stir halfway through.
- While the oats are toasting, mix the coconut nectar and coconut sugar in a small pan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the cinnamon and vanilla extract.
- Remove the oats from the oven, pour them back into your mixing bowl and reduce the heat to 300 degrees.
- Add the nuts and seeds to the bowl. Pour the syrup mixture over the oats and stir to combine everything. Scoop the oats out of the bowl and back onto the parchment lined tray. Spread the oats out evenly, and use a piece of parchment paper to lay on top and press down firmly with your palm. Pressing down will help the oats stick together better and form the bars.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Use a pastry cutter or spatula to slice the granola into 12 bars. If you don't slice it now, you won't be able to later because it will be too crunchy so you will have to break it up into chunks.
- Let the granola bars finish cooling completely and store them in an airtight container for up to one week.
Granola Bar Wrappers
I’ve also made these bars as a hostess gift, and snacks for parties. When I do that I like to decorate them a little to make them look extra special. We eat with our eyes first! I wrapped them with a mason jar topper
I got at the craft store and tied them with a burlap string to give it a special touch.
Step 1 – Fold both sides of the mason jar topper in towards the center.
Step 2 – Lay the burlap string down first, put the wrapper next, then add the granola bar. Tie the two strings together and you have a cute little package for your granola bars! So easy, right?
Pack a few of these in your booster kit for when you know you have a long day ahead of you. You can leave these in an airtight container for one week. They will last longer than one week, but they won’t stay crunchy.
If you have someone in your life that’s coming home from college for the holidays, make them their own college essentials booster kit and tuck a few of these granola bars in the bag. They will definitely appreciate it once they’re back at school!
What essentials will you put in your booster kit? Let me know in the comments!
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Never miss a Stacey Homemaker creation!
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