Wonderful Granola

While I was pregnant with my second child, I craved granola bars. I thought my favorite was Nature Valley Trail Mix Granola Bars, but in truth I absolutely love their Oats N Honey Granola Bars. Its simple taste and excellent crunch make them the perfect snack or companion to coffee.

Granola has an interesting history. According to Wikipedia:

The names Granula, Granola and Ganolietta were trademarks in the late nineteenth century United States for foods consisting of whole grain products crumbled and baked until crispy; compare the contemporary Swiss invention, muesli. The food and name were revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it a health food popular with the hippie movement. Granola made a major appearance at the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Festival. The name is no longer trademarked except in Australia where it is by the Australian Health & Nutrition Association Ltd.’s Sanitarium Health Food Company.

Just recently granola bars have saturated the market as a healthier snack alternative to candy bars, cookies, etc. Now, traditional granola bars are better for you, but many companies have added chocolate chips, marshmallows, and other “empty” calories to the mix. But even with those additions, these bars are still a little better than junk foods.

As I mentioned before, I’m a purist; just give me Oats N Honey bars. Less is more is definitely true for granola bars.