Processed Foods

[Barefoot Dama]

OK, FWIW, I'm baking "natural" energy bars (ostensibly for the Livestrong Davis ride, but not sure if they'll make it to see Sunday ) Oats, banana, dates, almonds and some vanilla...and the house smells wooooonnnndderfulllll Basically, trying to see if I can find a viable alternative to Clif Bars...

Recipe-hand it over no later than 3:00PM...TODAY.

 

[RunningPirate]

Recipe-hand it over no later than 3:00PM...TODAY.

Gah! I just got home and read this!

Regardless, here goes:

4-Ingredient Banana Oat Bars (With Options!)
Makes one 9x9-inch pan. Adapted from Ginger at Friesen Cold.
2 large, very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 cup pitted, chopped dried dates
1/4 cup chopped nuts — such as walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans
Grated nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)

Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x9-inch square baking dish with olive oil or butter.
Peel the bananas and mash their flesh in a medium mixing bowl. Mash very thoroughly until no large chunks remain; the bananas should be essentially liquid. (You will have between 1 cup and 1 1/4 cup.) Stir in the vanilla, if using. Add the oats and stir them in. Stir in the salt, dates, and nuts.
Pat the thick mixture evenly into the baking pan. If desired, sprinkle the top lightly with nutmeg or cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes or unti the edges just begin to crisp up.
Place the baking pan on a rack to cool. When the pan is mostly cool, cut into bars and enjoy with a glass of milk or tea.

 

[RunningPirate]

Do we have a healthy recipe thread around here?

 

[RunningPirate]

Recipe-hand it over no later than 3:00PM...TODAY.

OK OK OK OK...so, as part of my searching for healthier energy bars, I stumbled across this dessert which I'm eating right now. Here's the recipe:

Step 1: Freeze two banana's
Step 2: Peel them and put them in the blender and blend until smooth (though logistically, a food processor would probably work better).

The end.

Here's the actual "recipe" http://www.thekitchn.com/stepbystep-instructions-for-on-97170 (apparently you're supposed to peel and cut them before freezing)

Epilogue: I also added a bit of vanilla.

Ye gods this stuff is awesome...

 

[NickW]

Huh, those sound good rp. I tried a type of cookie tonight with cranberries and you can totally tell I don't bake. They taste good just don't look good. They are almost like a flat oatey bread with cranberries. On the other hand my ribs that I made this evening were pretty dang good despite me almost burning down the place.

 

[RunningPirate]

Huh, those sound good rp. I tried a type of cookie tonight with cranberries and you can totally tell I don't bake. They taste good just don't look good. They are almost like a flat oatey bread with cranberries. On the other hand my ribs that I made this evening were pretty dang good despite me almost burning down the place.

I think baking is more of an art than science. They did turn out quite nice - about as moist and cohesive as a Clif Bar, so maybe you should add mushed bananas to your recipe. I was hungry when I got home, so I ate one and was able to bang out 5 miles, so that means something...

As for almost burning down the place BBQ'ing ribs, that reminds me of the time I set my friends BBQ on fire...

 

[happysongbird]

I think baking is more of an art than science. They did turn out quite nice - about as moist and cohesive as a Clif Bar, so maybe you should add mushed bananas to your recipe. I was hungry when I got home, so I ate one and was able to bang out 5 miles, so that means something...

As for almost burning down the place BBQ'ing ribs, that reminds me of the time I set my friends BBQ on fire...

I don't try to BBQ any more because the BBQ was catching on fire every time. Works fine for the husband and kids, though...

 

[mokaman]

I don't try to BBQ any more because the BBQ was catching on fire every time. Works fine for the husband and kids, though...

This seems to be a common thing around here where I live with the ladies, for the kids its usually even worse though.

 

[skedaddle]

Lots of recipes on this veggie site for athletes, I qualify for neither but worth a look. I mean who can resist something called 'Chocolate black bean happy bar'.

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-recipes-for-athletes/

 

[Barefoot Dama]

Gah! I just got home and read this!

Regardless, here goes:

4-Ingredient Banana Oat Bars (With Options!)
Makes one 9x9-inch pan. Adapted from Ginger at Friesen Cold.
2 large, very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 cup pitted, chopped dried dates
1/4 cup chopped nuts — such as walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans
Grated nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)

Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x9-inch square baking dish with olive oil or butter.
Peel the bananas and mash their flesh in a medium mixing bowl. Mash very thoroughly until no large chunks remain; the bananas should be essentially liquid. (You will have between 1 cup and 1 1/4 cup.) Stir in the vanilla, if using. Add the oats and stir them in. Stir in the salt, dates, and nuts.
Pat the thick mixture evenly into the baking pan. If desired, sprinkle the top lightly with nutmeg or cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes or unti the edges just begin to crisp up.
Place the baking pan on a rack to cool. When the pan is mostly cool, cut into bars and enjoy with a glass of milk or tea.

Thank you, thank you very much.

 

[happysongbird]

Lots of recipes on this veggie site for athletes, I qualify for neither but worth a look. I mean who can resist something called 'Chocolate black bean happy bar'.

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-recipes-for-athletes/

def a catchy name -

 

[RunningPirate]

Thank you, thank you very much.

Have you made them yet? Also, did you try the frozen banana "ice cream"?

 

[Barefoot Dama]

Have you made them yet? Also, did you try the frozen banana "ice cream"?

Sorry but I have not, I didn't see the recipe until yesterday cause well, I am on a self imposed computer/internet detox, I mean break on the weekends, I do not touch a computer over the weekend, would you believe that?
I am going to make them this weekend or whenever I go groceries.
And I really appreciate you sharing the recipe.

 

[Sid]

mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2013/06/27/how-carbs-can-trigger-food-cravings/

 

[Tristan]

I've been almost full circle with these issues, was raised eating mostly healthy whole foods (we had a garden, chickens, dad hunted, etc). I graduated HS at a lean 135-140, and even with only two years of cross country I dipped into the 17's for a couple of my second year 5k's. I always attributed that to my good diet growing up. Going to college and my 20's went to the worse diet one could have. One of the problems with prepared food is that its so easy, and depending how you look at it, cheaper. Its hard to argue with cheap and easy, especially as a young adult. And fast food and restaurants were too close and easy. I survived college eating a jr bacon and two 5 piece nuggest and water for $2.97 daily. Also lived on Ramen noodles and a pack of hot dogs from aldies was 50 cents, bologna less than a buck, loaf of white bread was like 30 cents I think. About 4 years ago I started a complete lifestyle change. I had a pretty good belly going on for a skinny kid, 36's were getting tight, and I was within a few pounds of hitting 200! I bought a house out in the country, determined to start fresh and work towards the homestead I always wanted, and started running and paddling and hiking and all the things I used to love before I moved to the city and became a couch potato.

I've got a long ways to go but I've greatly reduced processed foods, fast food, soda, deserts, etc. I dont completely stay away from anything, but I'm no where near the level that having 1 piece of cake in a month or two I'd even notice. I love home baked stuff and cookinh, and have modified many recipes to at least be a little healthier, like substituting local raw honey for sugar, olive oil or coconut oils instead of veggie or canola oil, whole grain or alternative flours like buckwheat, etc.

I agree with a big problem is having the stuff laying around. Its hard to resist a package of cookies or chips (I love pringles!). My wife had gastric surgery and now for once cant eat all the crap she usually does but for some reason she still buys it for me and our son despite my suggestion not to.

I love home made and non processed foods. But I havent ever broken the desire for the junk foods. I still love fried chicken tenders in bbq sauce or honey mustard. I still love double cheeseburgers with bacon, and fries. But at least I have greatly limited these things.

And I do 'process' my own foods, but minimally so, and from better ingredients. For example for lunches at work instead of always getting sandwiches in the cafeteria or the crappy liquid sodium stuff they call soup, I made a few batches of soup & chili that I canned. But I use all whole good ingredients, and simmering and then pressure canning is the only processing. Most of the veggies are my own, organic and non gmo when possible. My own deer of course, which was never handled by another sole except me from field to table, and I even made my own stock this year (didnt even use any salt) from the bones. It was a lot of work for an entire weekend, but 40 some pint jars and a couple dozen freezer containers full of soup make an easy meal once or twice a week at work for half a year or more and all I have to do is pop the top and dump into bowl and shove into microwave. And its probably the most homemade thing you can get!

 

[Sid]

My wife had gastric surgery and now for once cant eat all the crap she usually does but for some reason she still buys it for me and our son despite my suggestion not to.

If no one is eating it, then throw it out! My wife, family, friends stopped bringing me junk food, after I started refusing it and throwing it all away. It's like when a recovering alcoholic pours out all the booze.

 

[Tristan]

Except we do eat it! Thats what my problem is I meant, if its already paid for I cant let it go to waste. Even though I'll spend extra for quality, organic, gluten free, etc, I'm still a penny pincher and wont let stuff go to waist! When she does buy something like a bag or double stuffed oreos I do try to limit portions - just 1 for my lunch bag and 1 for home, per day, if that. No more eating half the bag the first day!

 

[NickW]

Except we do eat it! Thats what my problem is I meant, if its already paid for I cant let it go to waste. Even though I'll spend extra for quality, organic, gluten free, etc, I'm still a penny pincher and wont let stuff go to waist! When she does buy something like a bag or double stuffed oreos I do try to limit portions - just 1 for my lunch bag and 1 for home, per day, if that. No more eating half the bag the first day!

I do the same thing. I'm so cheap, I had bought some spicy sausages that after the first time eating I discovered burned like crazy the whole way through the body and just make you absolutely miserable. Well, would you believe I forced myself to eat the remaining sausages throughout the next week despite knowing exactly how miserable I was going to be eating those? Ya, I'm that cheap. I couldn't bring myself to throw them away. My wife bought those mini bags of chips for her lunches a couple weeks ago, but do you think she actually takes them? No, they sit around and I get tempted, so I end up eating most of them. Not a lot of will power here if it's in the house.

 

[Sid]

Just because a corporation decides that it can make money by mixing a bunch of chemicals along with food derivatives and have a store stock them as "food products", doesn't mean that it's food. Just because it tastes good, doesn't mean that it's food. Animals like the taste of antifreeze, but at least they're honest enough to label antifreeze as poison.There are certain things, that you can't pay me to eat. (Though with some specific junk foods, I might happily oblige.)

 

[OdiarAmor]

"I'm still a penny pincher and wont let stuff go to waist!"

Freudian slip?