Recipe: Healthy muesli bars perfect for keeping hungry kids, adults satisfied during COVID-19 alert level 3 lockdown

For those of us in COVID-19 alert level 3, one of the biggest temptations of working from home is having the kitchen nearby, which can lead to an all-day snacking situation, 

If you're finding it difficult to reach for nutritious options, registered nutritionist Claire Turnbull from Mission Nutrition has shared a muesli bar recipe full of nuts and seeds, perfect for keeping you full all afternoon. 

Making these bars at home is also a great activity to do with the kids if you're tearing out your hair trying to keep them entertained on this rainy lockdown day - plus they'll keep hungry tummies satisfied all afternoon, and stop them bugging you for snacks just as you click into that important Zoom meeting. 

Once we're out of lockdown, Turnbull says they're the ultimate addition to school lunches - remember them?

"I've never been so keen to get back to making lunch boxes," she joked on Facebook. 

The full recipe: 

Ingredients (makes 12-15 bars):

• 2 cups oats
• 1/4 cup wholemeal/plain/High Grade flour (or can use 1/4 more oats)
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup sultanas
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp linseeds or sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup honey or brown sugar
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 large egg

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and lightly glaze with oil
2. In a bowl place all the dry ingredients and mix together
3. Place oil, honey and peanut butter into a saucepan – over a low heat melt together
4. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and stir well
5. Add beaten egg to the mixture and stir together
6. Shape into rectangle bar shapes onto a greased baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown
7. Leave to cool completely and store in an airtight container

Adapt it:

• For nut free add 1/4 cup more oil and 1/4 cup more honey and swap walnuts for seeds OR use tahini (sesame seed paste) instead of peanut butter.
• You could also make egg free by just adding an extra tbsp of both oil and tahini.
• Swap the walnuts for hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts or any nuts if you like!
• You can bake in a tray and slice after cooking or make these into little balls too! For balls, take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls – bake for around 8 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 32.