Lactation Granola Bars (Dairy free)

Wise Momma's Milk Makin' Granola Bars

Not only will these yummy, nutritious granola bars increase your milk supply, they're a healthy alternative to cookies, they are good for the whole family. Perfect for breakfast on the go or a quick snack for a busy mom. These moist and chewy granola bars can be customized with any combination of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Your whole family will love these!

Gather your ingredients, use organic when you can:

• 3 cups old fashion oatmeal
• 1/2 cup-oat flour
• 1/4 cup-flaxseed meal (you can replace with wheat germ or oat flour)
• 1 cup-sunflower seeds (You can replace with crushed peanuts, almonds or any crushed nut combination you want)
• 1/4 cup-dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raw/organic honey
• 4 Tbsp. virgin organic coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. pure organic vanilla extract 
• 1/4 tsp.- ground kosher/sea salt (optional)
• 2 Cups- Dried Cherries & Blueberries* (or ANY combination of the “Add Ins” (dried fruit/nuts).  You can reduce the amount of dried fruit/nuts to 1 cup or eliminate the dried fruit/nuts altogether.
• 3-4 Tbsp.- brewer’s yeast (This ingredient has helped increase milk supply in many nursing moms)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Prepare a 15-inch x 10-inch or 13-inch x 11-inch casserole/baking dish for the granola, by lining it with parchment paper (waxed paper has a tendency to stick to the granola), spray it with nonstick cooking spray. I also like using press & seal plastic wrap. But it can be a little tricky to work with.

3. In a large metal or glass bowl, mix well the oats, oat flour, flaxseed meal and sunflower seeds.

4. Pour the oat/sunflower seeds mixture onto a large baking sheet with sides or in a large casserole/baking dish. Place the oat/sunflower seeds mixture in oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Stir a few times to ensure the oat mixture cooks evenly.

5. Remove oat/sunflower seeds mixture from the oven with a pot holder, carefully pour the mixture back into the metal or glass bowl. Be Careful, mixture will be hot! Stir in dried fruit and brewer’s yeast. Set aside.

6. In a saucepan, mix brown sugar, honey, coconut oil and vanilla. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring sugar/honey mixture to a simmer. Remove from heat.

  

7. Pour sugar/honey mixture over oat mixture in the large bowl, be careful, the mixture is very hot.  Mix very well, make sure to coat all ingredients evenly.

8. Pour the granola mixture into your prepared baking dish, on top of the parchment paper. Spread out the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.

9. Now fold over the sides of the parchment paper or add a sheet on top, and press down firmly all over the granola. You want to compress it together so that your bars won't fall apart when you cut them. 

10. Let the granola cool, for about 2 hours or until cool to the touch.

11. Remove the top parchment paper and carefully place granola onto a large cutting board, peeling away the rest of the paper.

12. Cut granola with a large knife by firmly pressing down (not sawing). You cut your granola into whatever size bars you’d like.

13. Store in an airtight container, between sheets of parchment paper (so they don’t stick together)

Wise Momma's Milk Makin' Granola Bars

*Add Ins - You can mix up the recipe any way you want, replace the Cherries & Blueberries for “2 Cups” of any dried fruit/nuts your heart desires. Listed below are some suggestions I’ve tried: Dried chopped Apples, Apricot, Bananas, Blueberries, Cherries, Cranberries, Coconut, Papaya, Pears, Peaches, Pineapples, Pomegranate, Strawberries, Raisins, Crushed Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Peanuts (Groundnuts), Macadamia Nuts, Pecans. All nuts should be crushed & large fruit pieces are better chopped. You can also leave out the "add ins" altogether and make them plain, using only the oats and sunflower seeds. That's how my husband likes them, he' not a big fan of nuts & dried fruit...silly man! 

His favorite way to eat these yummy granola bars is for me to make them plain, then drizzle 1/2 cup of melted, dark chocolate on top.

Dark Chocolate Granola Bars

 

*Tip* Cut your granola into bars Before you drizzle on the dark chocolate.

I've breastfed all five of my children (ages 21 years - 4 months), I've always had more than enough of milk. I now contribute it to always making and eating granola, although I wasn't eating it to boost my milk supply, I was eating it because it was an easy snack to grab while chasing after my wild toddlers. Although I have changed my recipe several times over the last 22 years, the old fashion oats & sunflower seeds have stayed the same. I added the Brewer's yeast after I had a severe stomach flu, I was very ill and unable to keep anything down for a week. My milk supply suffer dearly. To bring my milk supply up, I tried several lactation cookie recipes. Although most of them were very good, I was trying to lose the "baby weight" I had gained, the cookie recipes were full of empty calories & fat. So I had the idea to add the brewer's yeast to my granola bars. And it worked! I was a happy momma. With my milk production back to normal and since my whole family loves these granola bars, I wanted to find out what effect the brewer's yeast would have on them...I didn't want them all lactating LOL. Would you believe it's good for you!?! It even cleared up my daughters acne. So it led me to do a research on all the ingredients. Everything, except the dark brown sugar (it just adds sweet goodness) has some health benefit. I was so pleased, I just had to shared this recipe with other moms trying to increase their milk supply. I hope you enjoy these granola bars as much as I do!

I've included a condensed version of the info I found during my research about the ingredients in these granola bars:  

Oats/Oatmeal- Oats are key in boosting milk supply. Not only are they good for increasing your milk they’re also filling, with healthy calories. Oats can help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease. The soluble fiber in oats helps remove LDL or "bad" cholesterol, while maintaining the good cholesterol that your body needs. 

The soluble fiber in oatmeal absorbs a considerable amount of water, which significantly slows down your digestive process. This result is that you'll feel full longer, i.e. oatmeal can help you control your weigh. Oats reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. The soluble fiber helps to control blood glucose levels. Help reduce high blood pressure. They contain a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron that nursing moms are frequently in need of. Oats can even reduce the risk for certain cancers.

Sunflower Seeds-

Not only will these yummy seeds boost your milk supply, a handful of them can dramatically improvement in the way you feel. Sunflower seeds can help relax and keep you calm, as moms we all can benefit from that! Sunflower seeds control cell damage, thus playing a role in preventing cancer. This is because sunflower seeds are a good source of selenium, which is a proven enemy of cancer. As a bonus, they also contain Vitamin E, which helps ease arthritic pain. They bring a glow to your skin. Sunflower seeds combat UV rays and keeps skin youthful. They ease every condition that’s inflammatory in nature, such as joint pain, gastric ulcers, skin eruptions, asthma and such. That’s because sunflower seeds are loaded with antioxidants. They contain bone-healthy minerals. Besides calcium, your bones need magnesium and copper to stay strong. Sunflower seeds have both these minerals. The magnesium in sunflower seeds is reputed for soothing the nerves, thus easing away stress, migraines and helping you relax. Sunflower seeds a day can keep heart troubles away. These small seeds disallow ‘bad’ cholesterol from sticking to the walls of your arteries, thus preventing heart attacks.

Raw/organic honey- 

Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The type of vitamins and minerals and their quantity depends on the type of flowers used for apiculture. Commonly, honey contains vitamin-C, calcium & iron. Honey helps in digesting the fat stored in your body. Recent research has shown that honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting the performance of athletes. Honey is a great way to maintain blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout, as well as regulating the amount of insulin in the body, as well as energy expenditure. Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, so it is often used as a natural antiseptic in traditional medicines. Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are very effective for the removal of free radicals from the body. As a result, our body immunity is improved against many conditions, even potentially fatal ones like cancer or heart disease.

Virgin organic coconut oil- We once believed coconut oil to be unhealthy and contribute to heart disease. We now know that this isn’t true. In fact, coconut oil is actually a heart-healthy food that can keep your body running smoother in a many different ways. Studies have shown that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. Even more, it also can help to fight off yeast, fungus and candida. Coconut oil can also positively affect our hormones for thyroid and blood-sugar control. Coconut oil can boost thyroid function helping to increase metabolism, energy and endurance. It increases digestion and helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Coconut oil has a saturated fat called lauric acid, it increases the good HDL cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels. Coconut oil can help you lose weight. Coconut fats have special fats called medium chain triglycerides. It has been shown that breaking down these types of healthy fats in the liver leads to efficient burning of energy. The oils found in the coconut also have a positive antioxidant action in the body. This means they help our body stop the damage to other healthy fats and tissues in our body. Oxidation is considered a major contributor to cardiovascular problems and skin aging. Coconut oil can actually help our bodies reduce the need for antioxidant intake.

Brewer’s yeast- brewer’s yeast is an ingredient that has also long been hyped to increase milk supply, and has worked for MANY women over the years (although contested by some). Brewer's yeast is one of the best natural sources of B vitamins, which are essential to overall health of a nursing mom (and any woman or man). It is loaded with nutritional benefits. So even if it doesn’t increase your milk supply, it will boost your energy level and increased sugar metabolism. Brewer’s yeast has been shown to raise high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) levels while reducing low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) levels, prevent heart disease, help control blood sugar and even protect against liver cancer. It will also help clear up acne!

Pure organic vanilla extract- Not only does vanilla extract add flavor, it will reduce anxiety and stress. Studies have shown that vanilla extract has a positive benefit on people who are dealing with stress and anxiety. It helps with nausea, vanilla extract can calm your stomach when you’ re feeling queasy.

Some studies have shown that the scent of vanilla extract alone may help you lose weight. The details of this are still being explored. Of course, proper weight loss has to do primarily with good diet and exercise.

Dried fruit- Dried fruits are some of the healthiest alternatives to refined sugar, eating fruit itself in moderation is a great way to get needed nutrients and vitamins. Dried fruit is a quick and tasty way to get those same benefits. While fruit itself is high in naturally occurring sugar, many dried fruits have additional sugar added for extra flavor. Try avoid those products when you can. You can also dry your own fruit. Some info on some of my favorite dried fruits:

Cherries- Has been called the "new antioxidant super fruit." Compared to other fruits, they have significantly higher levels of antioxidants, as well as important nutrients like beta-carotene, folic acid and fiber.

Blueberries- Another "antioxidant super fruit," blueberries are also high in vitamins A, E and especially B, which are necessary for a healthy nervous system. 

Mango- Is rich in a variety of phytonutrients, vitamins A, C and E, as well as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are necessary for healthy skin and the immune health. 

Apples- Contain many phytonutrients (naturally occurring component of plants that provide nutrition) that act as antioxidants, ridding the body of cancer causing free-radicals. They are also a great source of dietary fiber.

Pears- Are a good source of vitamin C and copper, and are full of dietary fiber.

Apricot- The most nutritious way to eat apricot is dried. A good source of fiber, they also contain vitamin A, C and Iron.

Papaya- Called "the fruit of the angels" by Christopher Columbus, papayas are a great source of antioxidants; recent studies have shown that they may aid in preventing diabetic heart disease.

Raisins- Often called "nature's candy," raisins are cholesterol-free, low in sodium, high in fiber and totally fat-free.