Breakfast Ideas - Phase 2 - Oatmeal Breakfast bars (Nessa Bars)

this with a hard boiled egg is a fast grab and go breakfast

this is 3 servings 2 bars per serving.

preheat the oven to 350

spray and 8x8 pan with cooking spray like pam

mix
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup DRY milk powder (non-fat milk)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed RIPE bananas or combo of the two
add 1 teaspoon baking powder
add 1 teaspoon (or more) of cinnamon
add as desired or needed:
sweetner (splenda works or sf syrups such as vanilla or caramel)
cut up dried fruit
chopped nuts

pour (glop really) into the pan
bake for about 22 minutes till the edges brown and come away from the pan
let cool.
remove from pan
cut into six bars 2 bars per serving
bag into individual servings and refidgerate

What's the nutritional data on these? They sound good! Do they work with steel cut oats?

What's the nutritional data on these? They sound good! Do they work with steel cut oats?


I have no idea what the data is and no they won't work with steel cut oats only old fashioned. sorry

These look really yummy - I'm going to try making them later this week.

Which do you prefer making them with, the applesauce, bananas or combo?

I prefer to use the ripe bananas or a combo..

if you use the bananas you need less splenda...

YUM, these are really good! Thanks, Nessa!

I did make a couple of adjustments, though. I used NSA chunky applesauce, and also added 1 1/2 Tbsp. flaxmeal, NSA dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, and about 1/2 cup of walnuts. Oh, and I used SF caramel syrup for the sweetener.

Where did you find no sugar added dried cranberries?

Kara

Oh, forgot to say that I didn't add any sweetener to mine and they were fine. The fruit was sweet enough.

Next time I'm going to try dried apricots with macadamia nuts, dried figs with walnuts, and golden raisins and dried cherries with almonds. If I can find unsweetened dried cranberries, I'll use those with walnuts.

I can see this is going to be a recipe that sticks around for awhile! Good thing I could only find a mondo container of dry milk!!! I think I'm going to use it all.

Kara

Kara, I really like Organic Eden Dried Cranberries, sweetened with organic apple juice. They're still high in natural sugars - 25 grams - but it's better than being sweetened with real sugar like most dried cranberries are. Whole Foods also carries an unsweetened cranberry, no sugars at all, but they are pretty dry and sometimes even crunchy.

OK, chickies. Entered the basic recipe into fitday and got this:

632 total calories, 6 g fat, 124 g carbs, 27 g protein

So if you have three servings per batch, then each serving is roughly:

210 calories, 2 g fat, 41 g carbs, and 9 g protein

Keep in mind that as you add dried fruits and nuts, the nutritional info will change.

Kara

Edited to say that I used half a cup of mashed banana (HA! Every time I say "mashed banana" I think of that Harry Chapin song!) and half a cup of unsweetened applesauce.

wow kara thanks!

Pineapple would be very good as the fruit in these bars, I think. Thanks for the recipe.

I do believe pineapple is not allowed on Phases 1 or 2. Sorry.

By the way, my sister's name is Jana!

Kara

These sound yummy. I didn't know we were allowed to have dried fruit or banana. I do have a question though. What is dry milk powder and where do you find it in the grocery store?

These sound yummy. I didn't know we were allowed to have dried fruit or banana. I do have a question though. What is dry milk powder and where do you find it in the grocery store?

it's the stuff you use to make milk. powdered milk it's called. usually in the baking section. on the bottom shelf NOT cheap so i buy it in the largest size at like Aldi or the warehouse stores


we can have dried fruit in small quantities and the same for banana and applesauce. I only use dried fruit and applesauce for cooking

and Kara you are right pineapple is very very limited in phase 2 and 3... has a ery HIGH GI.

Yes, sorry about the pineapple. I'm actually not a South Beacher, I just clicked on the recipe last night, not noticing this was the South Beach forum. :wave:

Nessa, this is such a great and versitile recipe...thanks so much for sharing it.
I use all banana in mine and add pumpkin spice and splenda brown sugar and toasted nuts to it.
Then when I eat some, I wrap a portion in a paper towel and put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then spray a little Smart Balance spray on it...it tastes like warm banana bread from the oven...what a great treat!!!

I don't care for cooked oatmal in a bowl, but this I absolutely adore!

Could you use canned pumpkin instead of the bananas/apple sauce? Towards the autumn I get on a pumpkin kick

KO, that sounds like a great addition/substitution, though you might have to up the splenda a bit because it's not as sweet as banana.

BTW, if you were to eat a banana outside of this recipe, we're supposed to stick with medium-sized bananas and smaller. The bigger ones have too much of a glycemic load and can send you over the edge. :)

Laurie that Explains SO MUCH!! I've been 1.5 in it and having med/large bananas (I bought for DH but he's conveniently forgotten them) So I've been wacko sugartastic all week
I want to burn a bag of white flower and sugar in effigy except it might smell like baking!

:lol: KO, you are hilarious! :D :hug: Yeah, I do fine with the medium bananas (I think I often err on the smaller side just in case), but I can see how the bigger ones could cause us all to be "sugartastic" (what a great word!)

Here's to a more healthtastic week next week! :)

Quick question is there anything you can substitute for the milk powder? It's $7 and I don't know what else I'd use it for.

Kier, invest in it! You'll use it to make a ton of these oatmeal bars, and it keeps for awhile.

I've also used it to make oatmeal on the stove (using the conversion to cups of milk for what milk I'd usually use in the oatmeal) and in the bean brownie recipe (added 1/2 cup of dry milk powder to the recipe). You could use it for any baked good that called for milk, as long as you mix it up according to the directions. I noticed a little bit of flavor difference in the oatmeal, but it didn't taste bad, just more creamy.

Hope that helps!

Kara

I apologize in advance for this really dumb question - but does this recipe call for 1 cup dry oatmeal or 1 cup prepared oatmeal? I'm not much of a baker, so any help I can get will be appreciated. I think these sound great and want to try them this weekend.
THanks

Hi Westiesam:
The only dumb question is the one not asked!
Its dry oatmeal.

I have a few more questions!
I have Quick Oats (not instant) can I use them instead of old fashioned?
I'm considering going back to Ph 1 for a few more days this leads to 2 Q's
1 how long can I hold on to bananas that they're still usable to bake with?
2 Can I freeze the nessa bars?
Thanks!
-Kierie

I'm not sure if the quick oats will work. You could always try and report back to us! My bet is that they'd be fine.

Bananas get kind of rancid after awhile. Also keep in mind that the browner they get, the more flavor they have. I would make up a batch of the bars and freeze them. I've frozen them before and they've been great!

Hope that helps!

Kara

yes but you can freeze bananas.

KO, we're not supposed to be using the "instant" or "quick" type of oatmeal on The South Beach Diet. They're too refined and some of the nutrients are taken out. As for bananas, when they get too ripe, toss them into the freezer. They are wonderful to use in baking, just run them under hot water for a minute or two and squeeze them into your recipe. They're even tastier in recipes that way!

Thanks for the input ladies! My Bananas are just freckled so I have some time
Cottage: with my stomach situation (gastric bypass) I'm slowly easing into grains b/c its only recently that I can eat the quick oats before this they made me sick. so I'm slowly working up to whole grains!
;)

Nessa, you are so mysterious, just popping up randomly like this.
I just happened over here because I have a question about making the bars, and I was surprised to see all this activity. For those of you that have used the sf syrups as the sweetener, how much do you put in. Does the extra moisture change the texture at all? Do you just bake them a little longer?

good Q schmoo! Ok I have 2 more! I'm making these tomorrow and I'm nervous I'm soo not a baker!
Has anyone doubled them? I figured since they freeze well I may as well make a big batch.
Also how do you check for sweetness? do you taste the batter? I know Dumb Q but AAAAAAAAAAH (I have an article deadline tonight and it's much easier to stress about oatmeal bars than editing 2 second drafts!) I'm probably going to use 2 bananas and at least 1/2 cup of regular NSA applesauce and 1/2 cup NSA berry apple sauce
thanks for listening to my rant!
Kier

I'm sorry, KO, I didn't know that you had a gastric bypass. :o In your case the "quick" oatmeal would be a lot easier on your stomach! My BIL had one done about a year ago, so I understand what you're going through. He's doing fantastic, BTW! I hope you are coming along just fine, too. :hug: I'm sure you can double the recipe, but I've never done it.

I usually add about 1/4 cup of the sf syrup to the recipe. I don't like them too sweet, and it's usually just right for me. They're on the moist side, but I cook them about 10-15 minutes longer and they turn out great.

Totally cool Lady :D I neither broadcast it nor hide it. I'm not big on sweets so maybe the bananas and sauce will do it!

DELICIOUS!!!!! I made oen batch with a little more than half banana and half apple sauce it added more cinamon and a little salt it didn't even need splenda!

Just curious....does this have to refigerated?? I thought about making them and taking them on my vacation with me but won't have access to a fridge

I've always kept mine either in the fridge or freezer, since they are moist and I'm afraid of them getting moldy. I think a day or two at room temperature would be ok, but no longer than that.

I have not refrigerated mine. I have a bean pot with a lid on top of my counter and when I make a batch of bean brownies or oatmeal bars, I portion them up, wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them in there. The oatmeal bars have never lasted more than about 4 days. The bean brownies I have kept this way for up to a week, because I'm the only one that eats them. DH is a big fan of the oatmeal bars. Last week I made two batches, I think I got about 4 of them, and they were gone by Wednesday morning. Anyway, mine have never molded, but with warm weather they may need refrigeration.

Alright, another variation on these:

I made the general recipe, put half in the pan - pressed it down like a crust and then put a layer of nsa jam (you could also use a homemade compote or something), then put the rest of the "batter" on top without pressing it down. Yum! These are so versatile!

i have a friend that adds walnuts and shredded carrots and makes a cream cheese type frosting for them ....

i have a friend that adds walnuts and shredded carrots and makes a cream cheese type frosting for them ....

I've added the carrots and walnuts, and some shredded zucchini, but I haven't frosted them. That's a great idea, though! I think I'll make a batch of these for our Memorial Day cookout! :)

OMG Nessa!! These sound delish!! I can't wait to try them!! :D

Thanks for sharing! :)

The burgeoning fall makes me want carbs GRRRR so does scooting in 30 ish degree weather
I have another Q (I really am Kieran the Question Girl)
I have a Big Jar of unflavored Protein Powder Could I use that instead of the Dry Milk?
Thanks
Kier

I can't speak to that as I'm not a user of Protein Power and I'm not familar with what it is or does.

I made these with protein powder this weekend and it works well.

In fact Nessa you are now famous in my office because everyone wanted the recipe!

Hi Ladies
I was going to try Protein Powder But mine expired this month! D'oh However I did make them doubled the recipe used all banana some ginger nutmeg and cinamon and a splash of vanilla no sweetener.
I did them in muffin tins soo good and I don't have to think of how big to slice a bar!
From doubling the recipe I got 12 muffins 20 min at 350
Next time I will either use more ripe bananas or add the A-sauce (i skipped the extra sweetener)

Has anyone tried making these into cookies? Any changes, what temp? How many did you make? What did you add?

I am starting back on Ph1 but want to try to put my entire family on SBD (ph2-ish) so I figure the cookies would be more appealing to my kids than a bar.

TIA!!

Just cut them into smaller pieces in the pan, like brownie size. The batter is a bit wet for cookies but you could add more oatmeal to make it into a dough. Then you could form it into cookies and bake.

Just cut them into smaller pieces in the pan, like brownie size. The batter is a bit wet for cookies but you could add more oatmeal to make it into a dough. Then you could form it into cookies and bake.

Thank you! Wow...That was a fast response! :) I actually just saw KO's suggestion of making them in a muffin pan...that might work, too. Or thickening with more oatmeal. I am off to make them now.

ETA: I made these as cookies for my kids. Baked 350 for 10 minutes. I used 1 small banana, 1/2c unsw applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, and some craisins, as well as either 2/3c or 1c (I cannot remember...it was just to the desired consistency) additional oatmeal. The batch made 24 small cookies. 2 out of my three kids, my pickiest included, liked them and went back for seconds! YAY!!

Thanks for the recipe. Looking forward to trying the bars when I hit Ph2!!

originally this started out as 'the big breakfast cookie" (and used 1/3 of the ingredients to make ONE HUGE cookie) so i don't see why not but you will need a lot more room than normal cookies as it spreads out...


(hi everyone I'm still alive)

Hi nessa- wondering where you've been... Just popped over here to try your famous bars! I am just now beginning to love oatmeal so I thought I would give them a shot! Hope all is well!