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Homemade Cereal Bars (What To Feed Your Baby)

May 19, 2016 by Wifeeclectic 14 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
A great alternative to store bought cereal bars, and you can customize it with the different fruit flavors. Plus What To Feed Your Baby book

Homemade Cereal Bars

I am a reader. Every time a new challenge or opportunity has come up in my life I have found myself with stacks of books trying to figure out my next step. Parenting was no exception. With my first daughter, I read everything I could get my hands on. From sleep training to attachment parenting, I wanted to know everything. At the end of that huge stack, I felt overwhelmed and guilty. Most books either gave a huge list of things parents should be doing, things that most people don’t have time for, or they were completely a different style of parenting than what works for me.

 

I pretty much gave up on parenting books after my first daughter, but she ended up being such a picky eater that I didn’t want to repeat that with our second daughter. I just finished reading What To Feed Your Baby by Tanya Altmann, MD, and it was refreshing and eye opening.

Instead of buying into parenting shaming and the mommy wars, Dr. Tanya shows different ways every kind of parent can feed their children amazing, nutritious food. For instance, for those parents who want to make their own baby food, she breaks down exactly how to do that. For the parents that want to make some food and buy some, Dr. Tanya tells you how to do that. And for the parents that want to purchase their baby food, she tells you the best way to do that too. She lets you pick what works for your family, while giving tips to help make that the best thing for your kid.

Meal time is a stressful time in our house and often a fight. One simple idea from this book really changed our lives: “The parent’s job is to prepare and offer food at appropriate times. The child’s job is to decide whether to eat or not and decide how much to eat.” Encourage your child to taste the food, but allow them to be in charge of their body. If you have true concerns about the amount of food they eat, speak to a pediatrician.

I am not sure why this was such a light bulb moment for me, but the idea that I need to offer my toddler foods, encourage her to eat them, and not force her to have them has allowed me to calm down at meal times, and my toddler is actually eating more! Go figure.

Dr. Tanya also addressed allergies, food trends and even healthy recipes for you to try with your little ones. I am going to share one of my favorites today. My kids LOVE store-bought cereal bars, but so many of them have ingredients I can’t pronounce, so we started making these homemade cereal bars. They are delicious and my kids beg for more.

You will need:

  • 8 Tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups frozen berries, thawed
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3/4 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 375. Use 1 tablespoon of your butter to grease an 8×8 glass pan. Put the sugar and berries in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Cook the berries down for 15 to 20 minutes, mashing the berries down periodically during this time. Let the fruit cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

While the fruit is cooking, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Make sure to combine well, with no brown sugar lumps.

Cut the butter into tablespoon sections and then blend the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or fork. The mixture will be crumbly.

Split the mixture in half and press half of the mixture into the pan. Spoon the cooled fruit over top of the mixture and lightly spread it. Sprinkle the rest of the dry mixture on top.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Allow to cool and then serve!

 

 

My kids loved these tasty bars and I love knowing everything that is in them.

 
Meal time is different for every family and I love that Dr. Tanya understands that. She helps you learn to make meal time work for your family.
 
Print Recipe

Homemade Cereal Bars

A great alternative to store bought cereal bars, and you can customize it with the different fruit flavors.
Course: Breakfast
Keyword: Breakfast, Food, Recipe

Ingredients

  • 8 Tbsp butter room temperature
  • 3 cups frozen berries thawed
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3/4 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375. Use 1 tablespoon of your butter to grease an 8×8 glass pan. Put the sugar and berries in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Cook the berries down for 15 to 20 minutes, mashing the berries down periodically during this time. Let the fruit cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • While the fruit is cooking, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Make sure to combine well, with no brown sugar lumps.
  • Cut the butter into tablespoon sections and then blend the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or fork. The mixture will be crumbly.
  • Split the mixture in half and press half of the mixture into the pan. Spoon the cooled fruit over top of the mixture and lightly spread it. Sprinkle the rest of the dry mixture on top.
  • Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Allow to cool and then serve!
 

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Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: Book Review, Tasty Tuesdays

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Masshole Mommy says

    May 19, 2016 at 3:23 pm

    We love cereal bars like this in our house. I am going to have to try your recipe!

    Reply
  2. Terri Steffes says

    May 19, 2016 at 6:46 pm

    At first I was thinking that a cup of butter is so much, but then, remembering it is for little ones who need the fat for energy, made it all good! These look delicious and I am going to get that book for a baby shower gift.

    Reply
  3. Rachel Langer says

    May 19, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    I used to make my own cereal bars. They were so good! Tasted like cookies to me. I should make them again soon. They are cheaper and healthier!

    Reply
  4. Karen Morse says

    May 19, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    What a helpful post about food for people with kids! I dont have kids, but those bars look like a great idea!
    Karen | GlamKaren.com

    Reply
  5. Amanda Love says

    May 19, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    I love cereal bars and have made a few of them myself. When my daughter was a baby though I bought all her food and didn't really make any. This is a good book for all new and not so new parents.

    Reply
  6. Rebecca Bryant says

    May 20, 2016 at 12:32 am

    these may be meant for baby but my teen would love them after band practice. I must make some.

    Reply
  7. Kait says

    May 20, 2016 at 5:03 am

    Cereal bars are a staple at our house for quick meals on the go. My husband and I constantly have things going on that don't allow us to sit down and eat, so they are a MUST!

    Reply
  8. CourtneyLynne says

    May 22, 2016 at 12:11 am

    Ooooo these cereal bars look so yummy!!! I will definitely have to give your recipe a try!!! Delicious:)

    Reply
  9. Amber N says

    May 22, 2016 at 1:58 am

    Those cereal bars would be tasty. My kids like popcorn and fruit!

    Reply
  10. DENEA DURAN says

    May 23, 2016 at 2:15 am

    I cant wait to make this. I literally buy boxes and boxes of cereal bars. This is amazing, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. Megan McCoig says

    May 23, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    I love cereal bars so I will most definitely try these out and share them with my family 🙂 thanks!

    Reply
  12. Eileen Kelly says

    May 24, 2016 at 2:32 am

    I completely agree. I made all my baby food when the kids were small and never forced. They are now almost all adults and all have wonderful eclectic tate in food. They look to experiment, I so agree not to force really takes the pressure oof the children and they end up eating well

    Reply
  13. Steph Jenssen says

    May 24, 2016 at 3:02 am

    I've never had homemade cereal bars! Love berries, and this looks like such a great breakfast – I'll have to try this recipe soon! 🙂

    Reply
  14. Paula says

    May 25, 2016 at 5:31 am

    I love your aha moment about food and toddlers – I remember having some rather fitful meals when my son was younger. We changed things a bit and would give him a wider array of choices, and that seemed to help.

    Reply

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Welcome to Housewife Eclectic

Debra Hawkins - Housewife EclecticHi, I'm Debra. I am a craftaholic photographer married to a web-programming amateur chef with two sassy littles keeping it interesting. It gets crazy around here. Read More…

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