Gluten Free Breakfast Bars

1 ¼ cup blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup almond slivers
¼ cup raisins

In a small bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
In a large bowl, combine grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla
Stir dry ingredients into wet
Mix in coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almond slivers and raisins
Grease an 8x8 baking dish with grapeseed oil
Press the dough into the baking dish, wetting your hands with water to help pat the dough down evenly
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes

Serve

Makes 12-16 bars

For 16 bars, each bar provides one block of protein and carb, and 4-5 blocks of fat.

**I have not tried this recipe yet (baking as we speak), but I would recommend using all almonds in place of the other nuts/seeds, if you are concerned about omega-6 fats. I think they taste quite sweet, and I think I could easily cut back on the agave nector, but would test it out prior to recommending this, as I would be fearful of changing the texture. Craisins would be a nice replacement for the raisins, or mix them up together for some variety.

Just so people know this is NOT in the zone. Way low in P, way high in bad F, way low in C.

Perhaps you could boost the protent content with protein powder

The nutrition content per serving is:

P-5g
F-13g
C-11g, fiber-3g, net carb 8g

Perhaps this is just a hair short on protein but pretty darn close. If anyone is really that concerned about 2 grams of protein, then go ahead and add some protein powder.

It is definitely NOT low on carb! In fact, I would actually work on decreasing that count just a bit more.

The fat is high, but I would not consider this to be a "bad fat" situation, especially in light of the fact that I made suggestions to how the recipe could be altered to make the fat even better. Perhaps techie needs to read the entire post????

I baked them last night, and my family loved them! I feel good about serving special treats to my family using wholesome ingredients. My hubby said that this was better than ANY store-bought nutrition bar that he has ever eaten. An added plus, in my book, as I continuously aim towards feeding my family food that is truly FOOD and not something that was manufactured into something resembling food.

Bozena, the previous post was directed at the critcism by techie. But, yes, I think that the recipe might work out ok adding some protein powder, It would require some testing, but I would start by replacing some of the almond flour with the protein powder. If too much protein powder is added, I am afraid that the entire wet-to-dry ratio will be changed and that the bars may not hold together as they should. If you choose to try it, let us know how it works out!

Just FYI for all, I used one serving for my snack this afternoon. I was able to maintain my level of satiety at a satisfactory level. Plus, it was just so delicious!

CC - how did you work out the protein content? Which ingredient does it come from?

hey CranCat! I agree with Bozena. I, too, do not see a USABLE protein ingredient.
If you calculate protein from the listed ingredients, using an online recipe/nutrition calculator
(such as Spark Recipes, etc.), then those include non-usable protein.
So, I too am wondering where the USABLE protein comes from?
The recipe looks good, maybe with slight variation, less agave, some Stevia, a little protein powder for flour
.
Bu not too much changes, otherwise, as you stated, the consistency might not remain the same.

The usable protein comes from the nuts/seeds that are included in the recipe. I know that Sears does not consider the protein in these products. However, in the amounts that are specified in the Zone, there is not enough protein to count. However, using these products in larger amounts, then the protein should count and is usable (much of this protein is not bound to fiber).

So, I guess Zoners should take this for what its worth, and if one is uncomfortable with the amount of protein, feel free to experiment on adding protein powder.

I can tell you, I had 2 servings for snacks, one yesterday and one today, and the bars did not take me OOZ.

Doing a little research, I don't see anything that suggests that the protein in an almond product or other nut/seed is not bio-available. However, going back to nutrition class, it may be considered an incomplete protein, in terms of not having all of the amino acids to make it a complete protein. A whey protein powder would definitely help solve that problem.

Just keep this recipe in terms of what it was meant to be... a snack. If you are going to be eating a meal, you would certainly want to get your protein from a more complete source.

Thanks CranCat for clarifying.

Thanks, John.

Just to add a little more about this whole thing, I feel as if I took offense to the first post by the techie. In all honesty, when I posted the recipe, I was pretty sure I would get some comment about the ingredients, and when I wrote the comments and alterations at the bottom, I had intended on mentioning the protein aspect. However, I forgot to do that. Then, when I read the comments from techie (which were really not very helpful and just made me angry), I didn't respond back about the protein as I should have.

I do appreciate the comments and added info from you and Bozena.

I have been following zonal guidelines regarding protein for quite awhile, and sometimes I end up adding additional protein to foods that the rest of the world already consider high in protein, just because the zone doesn't count it. Extra means more calories. So, I am experimenting with some of these gluten free recipes, i.e. Elana's Pantry recipes, as she describes them to be high in protein. I just want to see what happens when I actually count the protein rather than dismiss it.

I do have some time this weekend and may experiment a bit more by cutting out some of the fat and adding protein powder. I think I could make it work without the coconut, and sub in the protein powder there.

Our comment was based on the numbers, and to inform. They are never posted to hurt.

Using 16 servings per your recipe there are 166 cal 5gP/14gF/8-2=6net C
to be zoned (30%P/40%F/30%C) s/b at 166 cal 12gP/5gF/17gC

I hope that helps.

CranCat brings up a good point. One I have asked in the past. YET, I have not to date seen a "official" response from Dr, Sears & Co.
So, asking again. We all know that Protein in grains is ot bio-available, and is thus not counted.
BUT, what about seeds and nuts, as Cran also points out, here?
I do not recall seeing it addessed in any of the Dr. sears books, I've read.
But, I have not read many of them.
.
And though Protein might be low per individual seed/nut serving, if one adds enough different seeds/nuts, then does the protein, if it is bio-available, then count? (Putting aside the obvious way over amount of fat that those amounts of seeds/nuts would entail!
But for knowledge and discussion, is the protein bio-available in sees/nuts?
.
I would think so, but that is not based on any research nor any evidence, nor any fact.

Posted By Tech Support on 23 Sep 2011 01:44 PM
Our comment was based on the numbers, and to inform. They are never posted not hurt.

Using 16 servings per your recipe there are 166 cal 5gP/14gF/8-2=6net C
to be zoned (30%P/40%F/30%C) s/b at 166 cal 12gP/5gF/17gC

I hope that helps.

Techie,
thanks for clarifying your data. Maybe I was just in a bad mood that night, but your post did not sit well with me.
Your numbers are off, according to my calculations. I don't know how your carb comes out less than mine, but I entered each ingredient into MFP, which calculates the nutritional values, some products are based off of actual brand labels. It is interesting that the calorie counts are similar, but our carb counts are way off. I didn't mention the calorie count in the post earlier, as we don't count cals in the Zone.

I think it is very misleading to compare zone ratios based on calorie count, especially due to the wide variety of calories per block. And, it is not necessary for zoners to exactly match the 30:40:30 ratio. The zone is just that... a zone, not an exact spot. In addition, it is possible to stay in the zone with a product that may contain a higher amount of fat, but have appropriate amounts of carb and protein. The higher fat content does not have a direct influence on insulin. Now, I imagine that maybe some people might balk at eating a food that has as much fat in it as does my recipe here. But, I think we all need to keep in mind that some foods need to be eaten in moderation, and this recipe is a really great-tasting bar that actually has some health benefits, and offers something that your zone products don't: a gluten free alternative.

Posted By John on 23 Sep 2011 05:16 PM
CranCat brings up a good point. One I have asked in the past. YET, I have not to date seen a "official" response from Dr, Sears & Co.
So, asking again. We all know that Protein in grains is ot bio-available, and is thus not counted.
BUT, what about seeds and nuts, as Cran also points out, here?
I do not recall seeing it addessed in any of the Dr. sears books, I've read.
But, I have not read many of them.
.
And though Protein might be low per individual seed/nut serving, if one adds enough different seeds/nuts, then does the protein, if it is bio-available, then count? (Putting aside the obvious way over amount of fat that those amounts of seeds/nuts would entail!
But for knowledge and discussion, is the protein bio-available in sees/nuts?
.
I would think so, but that is not based on any research nor any evidence, nor any fact.

Thanks, John!

I am known to be an "out of the box" thinker, and I need to keep this in mind when I post here, as I feel that some of my ideas are really good ones, but not always ones that are "endorsed" by Barry Sears. Guess I will keep that in mind if I post more of these recipes, so that the discussion does not erupt like a volcano! lol

Definitely, I would love to hear more about bioavailabilty, too. Meanwhile, I will keep experimenting. Elana has some other recipes that probably would fit very well in the Zone, too. All gluten free, and lots of other things besides pizza dough and bars!

It is apple season here in New England. Abundant and cheap and minimal pesricides (IPM) used at the farm I pick apples. I am looking for a way to have apples with as much minimal processing throughout the winter. Not good canned or are they? maybe a minimal processed applesauce? If any one runs across such, lease let me know. We've canned and frozen other fruits, but not found a good one for apples.

Many varieties actually keep well in a dark cold celllar. Try googling to find which varieties keep best.

I have never frozen apples, but I do like making applesauce, I think it would work out well to cook them down into applesauce, then freeze. I don't even add anything other than maybe cinnamon. Like I said, never froze them that way, but do enjoy eating them this way!

I prefer the macs!

When I was a child my grandma kept apples through the winter season in a dark, cold cellar. They were nice to eat, but towards the spring they usually started to develop brown spots.

"And though Protein might be low per individual seed/nut serving, if one adds enough different seeds/nuts, then does the protein, if it is bio-available, then count? (Putting aside the obvious way over amount of fat that those amounts of seeds/nuts would entail!
But for knowledge and discussion, is the protein bio-available in sees/nuts?"

In a "case" like this you would count the Protein and the fat because it would be in a large amount.

So, if I understand this correctly, my recipe is NOT totally out of range after all? I think we all conceded that it was a tad low on protein (5g per serving). Techie originally commented "way low" in protein, but I don't believe that is the case, based on what has been posted.

This is the count:

Using 16 servings per your recipe there are 166 cal 5gP/14gF/8-2=6net C
to be zoned (30%P/40%F/30%C) s/b at 166 cal 12gP/5gF/17gC

IMHO double the P and the F should be brought down quite a bit, to 3g for a 1 block snack.

Posted By Tech Support on 27 Sep 2011 09:40 AM
This is the count:

Using 16 servings per your recipe there are 166 cal 5gP/14gF/8-2=6net C
to be zoned (30%P/40%F/30%C) s/b at 166 cal 12gP/5gF/17gC

IMHO double the P and the F should be brought down quite a bit, to 3g for a 1 block snack.

Since the Zone doesn't count calories, I feel that it is not an accurate comparison to compare calorie to calorie.

You need to overlook the fat content in this bar (and accept the fact that there is more fat than what is recommended in the Zone). Then, consider the protein/carb ratio, which is just about right.

Caloreis are important to the Zone even though the focus of putting together a meal is not calorie counting. Too many calories will take you out of the Zone whether they are from P, C or F. When you follow the Zone principles for putting together meals and snacks they will be inherently low calorie. Simply stated, this recipe doesn't follow basic Zone principles.

Yes, an overrage of calories is important. But, what I am trying to stress (and I think the point is being lost) is that if one is going to adjust this recipe, how about basing it off of the protein. The protein and carb ratio are really quite appropriate in terms of zone ratios. It is the fat that is out there, but fat is not stimulating insulin and this should really not be a huge issue. Especially in light of the fact that this is a SNACK, and I don't think that an extra 60 calories in a given day is going to cause a problem, unless it is done consistently.

But, as I said in my other bar thread, each individual can decide for themselves regarding eating a bar that has more fat.

(seems like we are more likely to go OOZ eating ice cream like Ben&Jerry's, but yet Sears acknowledges that ice cream is not too bad in the Zone, despite the fact that the carbs are unfavorable, due to the fact that the fat content is high.)

Calories are definitely a part of the picture. In the Zone 30% of you cal. come from P, 30% from F and 40% from C.

Techie,

Would you do me a favor and send me an email? I don't think that this discussion belongs in the forums. I think that beating this point back and forth will just seem argumentative. However, I am curious to dig into this issue a bit deeper.

YES CALORIES ARE IMPORTANT. I disagree with the way that you are using your numbers. You are using the fat as the base point and then trying to suggest that the bar is way short of protein and carb. However, the bar is NOT short because it is a 1 block bar that happens to have too much fat in it. The extra fat contributes to additional calories. However, it would take more than 60-70 additional calories per day to cause weight gain.

If you want to continue this discussion (and I am completely open to that), please send me an email directly to cranberrycat@hotmail.com. The rest of the readers in this forum do not want to see issues being beat down like this.