Samoa-Flavored Bars

By Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

It's that time of the year....

Girl Scout cookies!

For many, the time has arrived when the cookies are being delivered.

This used to be a yearly tradition for us - as it is for many - and we ordered Girl Scout cookies for two reasons:

1. To support our local Girl Scouts
2. To eat the cookies!

That changed a few years ago when I began to care about how the food we were eating would affect our health in the moment and in the future.

Don't misunderstand...

I'm not saying that eating a Girl Scout cookie (or two) once a year is going to create health problems and you should avoid that entirely. 
But let's be honest...
Do we really just eat one (or two) girl scout cookies each year and avoid most other junk food throughout the rest of the year??  (If you answered "yes", you are AWESOME and will most especially like this post and recipe...keep reading!)
It's the cumulative exposure to toxic ingredients that, over time, will create problems.

The day I began reading the ingredient labels, was the day things turned around for us in terms of our nutrition and our health!

So when the Girl Scout cookies were being sold, the first thing I did was actually read the ingredients list.

What I found...

Sugar, vegetable oil (partially-hydrogenated palm kernel and/or cottonseed oil, soybean and palm oil), enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), coconut, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk (condensed milk, sugar), cocoa, sorbitol, glycerin, invert sugar, cocoa processed with alkali,cornstarch, salt, caramelized sugar, dextrose, soy lecithin, carrageenan, leavening, natural and artificial flavor.

Can you count how many different sugar/sugar alcohol ingredients are in there? (hint: highlighted in red)  Not to mention the hydrogenated oils and other oils that contribute to inflammatory diseases.

What I decided to do...

I didn't want to cease our support for the Girl Scouts, but I also knew I didn't want to feed my family cookies that contributed negatively to our nutrition and health endeavors.

We gave the money we would spend on cookies and donated it to the Girl Scouts and decided to find a better alternative to the cookies.

Healthy food CAN be delicious...

I understand that the bottom line with mass-produced processed foods is cost, and it's cheaper for manufacturers to use chemicals and preservatives than real, natural ingredients.

But I also know that the cost to the health of my family is a far greater concern than the convenience I might find when purchasing said items.  I also know how easy, how delicious, and how few ingredients can go into some tasty alternatives.

Only 5 ingredients and nut/gluten/dairy free...

I got the inspiration for this recipe from 2 sources:

1. Samoa Girl Scout cookies
2. Larabars

The ingredient simplicity of Larabars is genius and I play around with different add-ins all the time - it's fun!

I love the taste of Samoa and knew coconut and chocolate were the flavors I liked the most.

So.....with the Larabar ingredient list as a guide, I threw those items in my food processor, mixed it together with a few quick pulses, shaped into a square block and refrigerated.  Done. (you can easily double or triple this recipe to have extra on hand and they freeze well!)

Are they just like Samoas?

Nope.  But then I wasn't going for the exact taste and texture either.  But is the taste good?  Absolutely!  Does it pass the taste test with my youngest critics?  You better believe it!  Do I feel good about finding a great tasting alternative to the ingredients listed above?  Without a doubt!


Ingredients
serving size: 1 bar/1.5 oz.

1/2 c pitted dates
2 tblsp unsweetened shredded coconut
scant drop or two of vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 tblsp gluten/dairy/nut/soy free chocolate chips*

• Place all ingredients in food processor
• Blend until a soft dough forms
• On some parchment or wax paper, gently press dough into a square shape
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour
• Cut into small squares (serving size is the size of an actual Larabar)

Optional add-ins:
Cashews (or any nuts if you are not nut-free), peanut or almond butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, oatmeal, raisins, cinnamon.  Be creative!


*You can find chocolate chips @ Harmons, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Smith's Marketplace


Nutritional Information*
per serving

Protein:  2g
Carb:      20g
Fat:         8g

Nutritional values may vary depending on portion size