Lately I have been munching a lot, and with too much of a sweet tooth I am constantly on the hunt for something sweet. My stomach has become an endless pithole. Constantly running around and raising two humans can definitely take a toll on you and especially if one of them is only 4 months old. In addition to this there is also a constant reminder to shed those extra pregnancy pounds. The worst part is when people ask you if you are expecting again :). Even after telling them, ‘Seriously folks, I just raised a human in here’, they don’t seem to understand. ‘It took 9 months for that belly to come out and it’s not going to go in that quickly’, I tell them.
I keep reminding myself that I don’t have to care about what others think, let me enjoy my baby before he grows up’. With exercise and diet I have decided to let the weight sink in slowly but then I do question the amount of ghee/clarified butter we Indians eat during postpartum. I did have my share of pregnancy ladoos with clarified butter, sugar and nuts. Butter is a serious culprit, I feel. Does the young generation really need all that fat coz we don’t go through the physical exertion which our ancestors had to go through?.
Since I was convinced that I don’t need that extra fat, I went with a simple, NO BAKE, GUILT FREE, HEALTHY ENERGY BARS. The best part is, it does taste like the store brought dry fruit barfi (An Indian sweet).
Making bars saves a lot of time than rolling individual balls. This makes a healthy kids snack, grab and go breakfast, kids lunch box idea (do check with the school if you can send nuts in lunch boxes).
- 20 Dates chopped
- 1 cup apricots chopped
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup pistachios
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup flax seeds
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Lightly toast walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews and flax seeds separately without oil. Transfer it onto a plate and let it cool.
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In a food processor or a mixer, add dates + apricots + nuts and seeds and process till all the nuts are coarsely grounds and everything comes together. (If you take the mixture in your hands and press, it should hold its shape. If not, grind again or add some more dates, apricot or raisins.)
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Transfer into a rectangular tray lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap and press the mixture firmly and evenly. You could also grease the pan with clarified butter.
If you don't have any of the nuts, substitute that with the ones you have.
For dates or apricots, you can substitute with raisins, cranberries, figs or any soft dry fruits.
To get a smooth edge while cutting, grease the knife with oil or clarified butter.
