Add some veggies into your diet with this Chewy Spinach Peanut Butter Bar recipe, which contains whole grains and is sweetened naturally with fruit
I am at it again, adding veggies to foods that don’t traditionally have veggies in them! In today’s recipe, I added a nutrient-packed veggie, spinach to create this chewy Peanut Butter Bar. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts my little one is not the biggest fan of veggies, so we try to incorporate them in any recipes we possibly can.
I have a list of tactics I try to employ in efforts to excite my little one about veggies. One of those is to get him involved in the cooking and preparation process. By involving him in the kitchen while making things like a smoothie or these bars, he is easily able to identify several greens like spinach and kale. He is also able to see the vegetables being added to recipes and understand the end result is still a delicious flavored food option.
My little one’s favorite tasks when creating these bars is measuring out the spinach and the oatmeal. He is also able to add ingredients like the banana and pre-measured peanut butter to the blender. His absolute favorite task is to hold down the button on the blender and watch the ingredients form into a bright green smooth consistency.
You will need a blender to make these bars, but the preparation process is quite simple. You blend up a few of the ingredients and then simply stir in the remainder. We have also been making a lot of green smoothies lately, and the bar preparation reminds me much of the smoothie making process. The batter also looks a bit like a green smoothie!
Fortunately the bright green color of the batter tones down a bit during the cooking process to a duller green color. For some extra flavor, I added semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you could also add ingredients such as craisins or nuts depending on who you plan to offer the bars to (nuts are a choking hazard for toddlers).
Enjoy!
Your Family’s Dietitian,
- 1 cup spinach, raw
- 1 large banana
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp oats
- 1-2 tbsp mini chocolate chips