Are muesli bars highly processed?

Muesli bars are marketed as healthy snacks, but unfortunately many contain added sugar, refined starch and fat, are highly processed and lack sufficient fibre to keep you satiated until your next meal.

What is a muesli bar?

Soft and chewy bars made from rolled oats, puffed rice, honey, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut oil, nut butter and more . A healthy and nutritious recipe that takes just 10 minutes to prepare and is a delicious energy-boosting snack.

What is the difference between a granola bar and a muesli bar?

The main difference is how they're made. Granola is baked and usually contains added sweeteners — such as honey or syrup — along with dried fruits, while muesli is enjoyed raw and sweetened with dried fruits only . Although they're both considered healthy breakfast options, they each have some downsides of their own.

Are muesli bars actually healthy?

Muesli bars might seem like a healthy on-the-go snack or lunchbox addition, but many varieties are packed with sugar, refined starch and fat .

What makes muesli bars stick together?

Honey – The sweetener for the glue and also what makes the muesli bar crunchy once baked . Maple syrup also works but they are not quite as crunchy and don't hold together quite as well. But a good alternative. Rolled oats – Just plain rolled oats, like we use for recipes like oatmeal cookies and Anzac biscuits.

Is it cheaper to make your own muesli?

Muesli can be combined with your milk or non-milk of choice, stirred into yogurt, or used as a toast-topper. And although it's easy to find in grocery stores, it's just as easy (and more importantly: cheaper) to make your own . You just need to know the muesli formula. There isn't an optimal ratio of ingredients per se.

Are muesli bars junk food?

They don't all belong in the health food aisle. While they might be in the health food aisle, not all muesli bars are health foods . In fact, many are high in sugar which isn't ideal with healthy snacking in mind. For between-meal bites, my go-to is usually something from a core food group.

Are granola bars considered processed?

Highly Processed “Health Foods” According to Hutchison, even a standard protein bar is problematic. “A granola bar with nuts, honey, granola and oil is slightly processed .

Is muesli processed cereal?

Most muesli, unlike granola, has not been processed with sugars, honey, or any coatings , so that is a positive sign. You will want to look for raw muesli, as this is true muesli and will be the best for you (as well as the easiest to determine the nutritional value).

Is granola highly processed?

Items made from whole foods — such as granola made with oats, dried fruit, and no added sugar, or polenta made with whole cornmeal — are also considered minimally processed and therefore “healthy.”

Are muesli bars healthier than chocolate bars?

Myth: It's always best to choose a cereal bar than a chocolate one. Fact: Cereal bars do contain 'healthy' ingredients such as oats but they can still be high in sugar and fat, and many have a lot of dried fruit . If the bar contains nuts, dried fruit and chocolate chips, it can be quite high in calories.

ThermoFun - Muesli Bar Recipe - ThermoFun | Thermomix Recipes & Tips (2024)

August 1, 2014

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A perfect healthy and yummy snack for the kids to take to school with the added benefit that it has no nuts! :)

ThermoFun – Muesli Bar Recipe

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Ingredients

70g pitted dried dates
125g butter, cubed
70g brown sugar
40g honey
135g rolled oats
75g self raising flour
65g cranberries, dried
80g sultanas
50g pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160°C (fan forced). Grease a 28cm x 18cm slice tin and line with baking paper.
Place dates into TM bowl and coarsely chop 6 sec / speed 6. Set aside.
Place butter, sugar and honey into TM bowl and melt 1 min / 80°C / speed 1. Scrape down. Continue melting 30 sec / 80°C / speed 1.
Add remaining ingredients and mix 20 sec / speed 4 / Reverse.
Press mixture into tin and smooth the surface.
Bake approx. 20 - 25 mins or until golden.
Cool in tin. Cut into bars.

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Comments

Karen Hughes says
January 31, 2024 at 3:17 pm

I’ve been making these for the grand-kids lunches for a couple of years, as they love them! It’s great that they can be frozen too. A couple of changes I make is to sometimes use sunflower seeds instead of the sesame seeds, reduce the sultanas and cranberries and add some shredded coconut. I sometimes ice them too! They are worth every cent that I will donate to your great FB page Leonie 😁
Reply
- thermofun says
  February 07, 2024 at 5:26 pm
  
  awwwwww thank you so much Karen for your donation. So pleased your grand-kids love them! I like your changes too, so I will definitely try those for a change! Thank you again! xox
  Reply
Jean says
March 06, 2018 at 4:52 pm

I've just made these for the mob and they are very popular. Thanks Leonie.
Reply
- thermofun says
  March 07, 2018 at 6:35 pm
  
  Great to hear Jean - thank you! :)
  Reply
trish says
January 09, 2017 at 11:11 am

really enjoyed these - lovely recipe, very handy for school lunches especially as it's nut-free. thanks!
Reply
- thermofun says
  January 09, 2017 at 3:42 pm
  
  My pleasure Trish and nut free can make it difficult to do a nice muesli bar :D
  Reply
Debc says
December 28, 2016 at 10:12 pm
See Also
Recipe: Grain Free Chocolate Raspberry Birthday Cake

So easy and yum! I also swapped in the chia seeds and apricot for pepitas and canberry!
Reply
- thermofun says
  December 29, 2016 at 10:00 pm
  
  Oh that sounds great Debc - Will have to add that to my list of must tries :D
  Reply
Tracy says
September 29, 2015 at 4:33 pm

Finally got around to commenting here! This has become my 'go to' slice. As a breastfeeding mumma I was looking for something healthier than chocolate to snack on, as I'm always so hungry these days. Made these into lactation muesli bars by adding a tablespoon of Brewers' yeast (strong flavour so don't use unless you can stomach it!) and replaced the sesame seeds with linseeds (flax seeds). Combined with the oats, they make great galactagogues!
Reply
- thermofun says
  October 02, 2015 at 8:35 pm
  
  Thanks Tracy - great to hear of your changes. Enjoy your baby! :)
  Reply
Jodie says
February 01, 2015 at 2:15 pm

Love this recipe... I have just made it with nuttalex.. So dairy free! Also chia seeds instead of sesame seeds as I had run out. Can you freeze this?? I want to use is for school lunches. Thanks , Jodie
Reply
- thermofun says
  February 01, 2015 at 2:43 pm
  
  Yes I'm sure it would freeze well Jodie. :)
  Reply
  - Jodie says
    February 01, 2015 at 3:00 pm
    
    Thanks! It is cooling now! I have also used dried stevia from my garden, instead of sugar, so I am interested to see how it tastes!
    Reply
    - Elisbeth says
      February 20, 2015 at 10:05 pm
      
      Most interested in the dried Stevia, Can you tell us about it please?
      Reply
Karen Hughes says
January 19, 2015 at 12:19 pm

actually that's Crio Bru, not Crui Bru!
Reply
Karen Hughes says
January 19, 2015 at 12:18 pm

I made these a while ago exactly to the recipe and they were well received by all. I made them on the weekend again and I inadvertently changed a few things:
I didn't have quite enough honey, about 30g so added the last 10g as molasses.
I used about 40g of rapadura sugar as I'd run out of brown sugar
Didn't have any pepitas left, so thought I'd add raw cacao nibs with some sunflower seeds, but added about 20g of Crui Bru in the TM before I realized what it was! I then added the cacao nibs!
I added 1tbls of sesame seeds and 1tbls of linseeds - this was meant to be the only change!
However, they are delicious and I'm glad I wrote down what I changed otherwise I wouldn't remember what I'd done!
Thanks Leonie!
Reply
Christine says
August 30, 2014 at 2:35 pm

Tastes great! I put some choc drops on top for the kids
Reply
- thermofun says
  August 30, 2014 at 8:28 pm
  
  Great idea with the choc drops Christine! :)
  Reply
Jenene says
August 03, 2014 at 12:35 pm

Have made a million muesli bar slices in the quest for one that sticks together and acts like a muesli bar - this one does Hooray!! Yum and a great base for swapping in other ingredients, thanks Thermofun.
Reply
- thermofun says
  August 03, 2014 at 1:15 pm
  
  hey that's great to hear Jenene! Let me know what ingredients swap you end up doing too and how it goes! :)
  Reply
Tara says
August 01, 2014 at 4:42 pm

Just made this now. Replaced sesame seeds with chai seeds. Eating it still hot from the oven. It's yum! Will be great for the kids lunches.
Reply
- thermofun says
  August 01, 2014 at 4:50 pm
  
  Oh still hot from the oven! nom nom nom!!! :)
  Reply

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ThermoFun - Muesli Bar Recipe - ThermoFun | Thermomix Recipes & Tips (2024)

ThermoFun – Muesli Bar Recipe

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