Years ago, I started making granola bars for my husband and I because I didn’t care for the bars that were on the market. I love the convenience and reliability of a granola bar, but I wasn’t loving the what some where made of or how others tasted. My goal was to create something that my husband, who is a picky eater, enjoyed eating while I was confident that he was getting good nutrition.
The foundation of our bars has stayed the same since the first ones, but since then I’ve focused on is adjusting ratios for texture while creating my own nut butters to double down knowing exactly what is in what we are serving.
The pillars of our company is to create and share products that are “Good for You, Good for the Earth, Good for Humanity”, in this post I’ll be highlighting the “Good for You” pillar focusing on the health benefits of ingredients I use in our bars (found on healthline.com using evidence-based articles). I want to get down to the root of why these bars are important to me and why I’m confident in sharing them with you, your kids, your friends, and family. I care what I give you and I care that it meets your expectations.
Oats:
Oats (I source certified GF organic oats) are the foundation of the Please & Thank You Granola Bars and there’s good reason for that! Here are some Health Benefits of Eating Oats from www.healthline.com
Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They’re a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
Oats Are Incredibly Nutritious: Oats are loaded with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidant plant compounds.
Whole Oats Are Rich in Antioxidants, Including Avenanthramides; Avenanthramides may help lower blood pressure levels by increasing the production of nitric oxide.
Oats Contain a Powerful Soluble Fiber Called Beta-Glucan: the health benefits of beta-glucan fiber include: Reduced LDL and total cholesterol levels, Reduced blood sugar and insulin response, Increased feeling of fullness and Increased growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract
They Can Lower Cholesterol Levels and Protect LDL Cholesterol From Damage
Flaxseed:
Flaxseed is included in all our bars and granola. It’s a really easy way to add nutrition without changing the flavor! For centuries, flax seeds have been prized for their health-protective properties. Nowadays, flax seeds are emerging as a “super food” as more scientific research points to their health benefits.
Here are some Health Benefits of Eating Flaxseeds from www.healthline.com
Flax Seeds Are Loaded with Nutrients: Just one tablespoon provides a good amount of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to being a rich source of some vitamins and minerals.
Flax Seeds Are High in Omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Plant-based ALA fatty acids are proven to have heart health benefits and are linked to a lower risk of stroke.
Flax Seeds Are a Rich Source of Lignans, Which May Reduce Cancer Risk. Lignans are plant compounds that have antioxidant and estrogen properties, both of which can help lower the risk of cancer and improve health. Interestingly, flax seeds contain up to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods
Flax Seeds Are Rich in Dietary Fiber
Flax Seeds May Improve Cholesterol
Flax Seeds May Lower Blood Pressure
Flax Seeds Keep Hunger at Bay, Which May Aid Weight Control
Cinnamon:
I love the smell and taste of cinnamon and you’ll find it in almost all our products! Here are some Health Benefits of Cinnamon from www.healthline.com
Cinnamon Is Loaded With Antioxidants: Antioxidants protect your body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols. In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano
Cinnamon Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties: The antioxidants in cinnamon have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help lower your risk of disease.
Cinnamon may improve some key risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.
Cinnamon Can Improve Sensitivity to the Hormone Insulin
Cinnamon Lowers Blood Sugar Levels and Has a Powerful Anti-Diabetic Effect
Cinnamon May Have Beneficial Effects on Neurodegenerative Diseases
Cinnamon May Protect Against Cancer
Coconut:
We know that coconut isn’t always people’s favorites, but we use an unsweetened shredded coconut that adds nutritional benefits without hitting you with a big taste of coconut. You’ll find coconut in the Golden Rule, Sharing is Caring and Mama May I bars, and Yes, Please Granola! Here are some Health Benefits of Coconut from www.healthline.com
Highly nutritious, unlike many other fruits that are high in carbs, coconuts provide mostly fat. Much of the fat in coconut is in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Your body metabolizes MCTs differently than other types of fats, absorbing them directly from your small intestine and rapidly using them for energy.
They also contain protein, several important minerals, and small amounts of B vitamins. Coconuts are especially high in manganese, which is essential for bone health and the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and cholesterol. They’re also rich in copper and iron, which help form red blood cells, as well as selenium, an important antioxidant that protects your cells.
Eating coconut may improve cholesterol levels and help decrease belly fat, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
May promote blood sugar control, coconut is low in carbs and high in fiber and fat, so it may help stabilize your blood sugar.
Coconuts contain polyphenol antioxidants that can protect your cells from damage, which may reduce your disease risk.
Nuts:
All our products, expect for the You’re Welcome granola bar, contain some sort of nut in them. I know there are allergies out there and that’s why we have one bar that does not contain nuts, but I love the benefits nuts have in my diet. So if you aren’t allergic (or are allergic) – we have something for you! Here are some Health Benefits of nuts from www.healthline.com
Eating nuts may help reduce risk factors for many chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
Nuts that you’ll find in our products:
Almonds (Sharing is Caring, Mama May I and Yes, Please Granola): Almonds contain a number of important nutrients that may help reduce heart disease and diabetes risk factors.
Hazelnuts (found in Golden Rule, Pardon Me, Sharing is Caring, Mama May I and Yes, Please Granola): we use hazelnuts in our hand-crafted hazelnut spread (similar to Nutella, without all the “extras”). Hazelnuts are a good source of many nutrients, such as vitamin E. They may also reduce heart disease risk factors.
Peanuts (found in Golden Rule, Pardon Me, Sharing is Caring, Mama May I and Kindness Peanut Butter): we use peanuts in our hand-crafted peanut butter. It’s 99% unsalted peanuts with a hint of sea salt and honey. Unlike most other nuts, peanuts belong to the legume family. However, they have nutrient profiles that are similar to tree nuts and may also help reduce risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.
Honey:
Honey is the natural binder that I use in all our products. I love the taste and the health benefits. Although it comes out on a nutritional label as an “added sugar”, this is the only natural sugar that I include in my products. There are no other sugars or syrups.
Where honey shines is in its content of bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants.
High-Quality Honey Is Rich in Antioxidants
High-quality honey contains many important antioxidants. These include organic acids and phenolic compounds like flavonoids. Scientists believe that the combination of these compounds gives honey its antioxidant power
The Antioxidants in It Can Help Lower Blood Pressure, Blood pressure is an important risk factor for heart disease, and honey may help lower it. This is because it contains antioxidant compounds that have been linked to lower blood pressure
The antioxidants in honey have been linked to beneficial effects on heart health, including increased blood flow to your heart and a reduced risk of blood clot formation.
Honey may help improve Cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol levels is a strong risk factor for heart disease. This type of cholesterol plays a major role in atherosclerosis, the fatty buildup in your arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Interestingly, several studies show that honey may improve your cholesterol levels. It reduces total and “bad” LDL cholesterol while significantly raising “good” HDL cholesterol
Honey Can Lower Triglycerides: Elevated triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Several studies show that honey can lower triglyceride levels, especially when used as a sugar substitute.
Mama May I Granola Bar:
I’m a big advocate for mama’s and all their wonderful superpowers - I think it’s important to support mama’s in their journey, no matter where they are, no matter what choices they make (if it doesn’t harm the baby) - I’m talking about diapers, foods, formula/breast milk, traveling, sleeping, tummy time, etc. All the choices that parents have while raising a baby are their own and I want to be able to support whatever that choice is. This is where our Mama May I bar comes in, I crafted a bar that can support milk product while breastfeeding your kiddo.
While researching foods that may support milk production, I realized that foundationally the Sharing is Caring hit a lot of those marks – oats, healthy fats, nut protein and flaxseeds – so I added Brewer’s Yeast to it and discovered a bar that was able to help many mamas! We’ve found that eating Mama May I granola bars in addition to water intake and regular feedings supported milk production.
These bars are great if you are a new breastfeeding mama – check out the monthly subscription so you never run out! Do you have friends, family or co-workers that are pregnant or breastfeeding? Consider these bars as a gift for them too!
You're Welcome Granola Bar:
Knowing that not everyone can eat nuts, I set out to create a nut-free, super nutritious and yummy bar. The You’re Welcome bar not only has the benefits of oats, flaxseed, cinnamon, and honey, but it also has the added benefits of chia seeds, pumpkin, apples and dates! Here are some Health Benefits of those from www.healthline.com
Chia Seeds:
Chia Seeds Deliver a Massive Amount of Nutrients With Very Few Calories - They’re loaded with fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients – the high fiber and protein content may help you lose weight.
Chia Seeds Are Loaded with Antioxidants
Dates:
Dates contain several vitamins and minerals.
Dates are high in fiber, which may be beneficial for preventing constipation and controlling blood sugar control.
Dates contain several types of antioxidants that may help prevent the development of certain chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
Dates may be helpful for lowering inflammation and preventing plaques from forming in the brain, which is important for preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Pumpkin:
Pumpkin is high in vitamins and minerals while being low in calories. It’s also a great source of beta-carotene, a carotenoid that your body converts into vitamin A.
Pumpkin contains the antioxidants alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin and many others, which may protect your cells against damage by free radicals.
Pumpkin is high in vitamins A and C, which can help boost your immune system. Its supply of vitamin E, iron and folate may strengthen your immunity as well.
Pumpkin is a good source of potassium, vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, which have been linked to heart health benefits.
Apples:
Apples are mainly made up of carbs and water. They also contain fiber, which moderates blood sugar levels and promotes gut health. They contain decent amounts of both vitamin C and potassium.
Some studies indicate that apples may help protect against diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
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