An energizing granola bar without the sugar

It's back to work; time to snap out of that Winter Break mentality and hit the books. But what if your mind's still sluggish with holiday cheer and the books decide to hit you back?

You rolled out of bed late, missed breakfast, have back-to-back classes and no time for lunch. How are you going to refuel? Granola bars are a popular way to pack the energy punch you need and are easy tote around in your messenger bag.

But the granola bars from the grocery store are loaded with sugar and carbs. Sugar shouldn't be the first or second ingredient on the list. And often you're misled into thinking there's less than there really is.

A typical packaged granola bar such as Nature's Valley is promoted as health food but lists sugar nine times under different forms; sugar, fructose, high maltose corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

If you don't know this already take special note now: high fructose corn syrup is the unhealthiest of sweeteners and should be avoided with the same ferocity as hydrogenated oils and trans fats. Sugar may give you immediate energy, but be prepared for a crash halfway through your second class.

Special K Chocolatey Crunch bars proudly state they're only 90 calories and help you to lose weight. But the bars, which only weigh 22 grams, contain eight grams, or nearly two teaspoons, of sugar. Add to that 120 milligrams of sodium and the fact that sugar is listed as the first ingredient.

"They're not health food," said Jayne Hurley, senior nutritionist with U.S.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest about granola bars. "They're basically cookies masquerading as health food."

One 30-gram serving of All-Bran original cereal bars contains six grams of fat, 130 calories and nearly two teaspoons of sugar. It's almost the same as eating two Oreo cookies. The Quaker Oats True Delights Bar has pretty much the same amount of fat and calories as a Snickers bar.

Store bought, over-processed granola usually has very little fiber, a lot of sugar and an assortment of chemicals. Even the admittedly better for you granola found in health food stores are not quite up to par. While the popular Cliff Bars pack a substantial 5 grams of fiber and don't have high fructose corn syrup, a single bar does contain an alarming 21 grams of sugar and 230 calories; sugar shows up four times in the ingredients. Created for rock climbers and targeted to athletes, Cliff Bars have more calories than you really need for that 9 a.m. class.

By now we're all familiar with old warnings to "read the ingredients label," and "don't eat anything you can't pronounce." These are still good rules to live by. But basically the only granola bar you're going to be able to trust is the one you make yourself. Because you control the ingredients, your crunchy concoction will have nothing but good-for-you energy and plenty of taste.

Jump back into classes well armed with this blueberry and maple granola bar recipe. There are some key ingredients that will boost your brain power.

Blueberries contain ferulic acid and caffeic acid, two great anti-oxidants that protect the nervous system and your neurons, which helps improve memory. Walnuts have high concentrations of DHA, an Omega-3 fatty acid that boosts cognitive performance. Sunflower seeds are full of magnesium, which will reduce frequency of migraines, lower blood pressure and help produce the neurotransmitter serotonin, which relieves tension and increases relaxation. All good things to have going on for that fun surprise quiz you have in your 9 a.m. class.

Be good to your body, and your brain will be good to you.

Ingredients

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried blueberries

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, making sure there is a 1-inch overhang all around the sides of the pan. These will be used as "handles" to remove the granola bars from the pan once they are baked. Set aside.

2. Spread the oats, walnuts and sunflower seeds on an ungreased baking sheet and bake until they are lightly toasted, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and allow the mixture to cool completely before proceeding.

3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt until well combined.

4. In a large mixing bowl combine the canola oil, brown sugar and maple syrup until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Stir in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture until it is just incorporated. Stir in the oat mixture until everything is well combined. Stir in the dried blueberries.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake the granola bars until they are set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

6. Lift the foil "handles" on either side of the pan to remove the slab of granola bars from the pan. Place them on a cutting board. Cut into desired size and shape bars.