I love granola bars (and granola not in bar-form), but store-bought granola bars can be high in sugar and not at all healthy. One solution to avoiding the sugar high and subsequent crash is to avoid packaged snacks and instead make your own. Granola bars are surprisingly easy to make and because you're in control, you can greatly reduce the amount of sugar and fat in the recipe. The following recipe is deliciously chewy, moist (when straight out of the oven) and guaranteed to be healthier than most granola bars. I can't take full credit for the idea of this recipe, because it came from an assortment of pinterest re-pins and instagram likes (a nutrition student needs her distractions too!). 
Ingredients (makes 12-16 bars/squares):
- 3 and ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup maple syrup or thick liquid sweetener
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup trail mix
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 mashed bananas
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a large bowl, combine oats, trail mix, cinnamon,and nutmeg
- In a separate bowl, mash bananas, and then add apple sauce, honey, and vanilla extract
- Mix wet ingredients into the oats, trail mix and spices until a thick mixture results
- Grease a 9"x 9" square pan or rectangular pan of your choice
- Using a spoon, spread the mixture on the pan creating a 1-1.5" thick layer of granola
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool
- Cut into squares/bars and enjoy!
-Jess