This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Pistachio Health Institute. 
I absolutely love finding great, healthy snacks that both of the kids and I love. Over the past few months, the kids have expressed an interest in pistachios. Mainly because they see their grandpa eat them but also because they love how fun they are to eat!
Since I’m always up for a challenge when it comes to food, I love that it takes SO long to enjoy an entire serving of pistachios. That means that I get to slowly enjoy my snack instead of rushing through eating it. And the kids love trying to open each one themselves making it a game to them.
When I choose snacks I try to choose ones that’ll keep me feeling full and satisfied. Pistachios are a good source of fiber, providing 12 percent of the daily value per 30-gram serving. And besides the health benefits, eating fiber may help you feel full longer and makes it easier to follow a healthy eating plan. Go pistachios!
Healthy snacks are great for a healthy lifestyle. They can help make us feel good and taste great as well. And? You get more nuts per serving with pistachios than any other nut out there. If you reduce your serving to 30 pistachios, you have a great 100 calorie snack ready for you to enjoy.
Below are a few great tips from Celebrity Trainer Valerie Waters as she helps us focus on smart snacking:
Since my kids already love pistachios I thought I’d take their love one step further and make some delicious dark chocolate pistachio granola bars for them as an after school treat. Something they could make with me after they got home and enjoy after naptime (because you better believe I still enforce naptime here!).
I took a few ingredients we had in the cupboard, chopped up a handful of pistachios, and made some delicious granola bars that are sure to be a hit when they wake up!
Dark Chocolate Pistachio Granola Bar Recipe
- 1 cup Chex rice cereal
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup sweetened granola
- 1/4 cup pistachios (shelled and chopped)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened)
- 1/8 cup coconut (unsweetened)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/3 cup almond butter (unsalted)
- 1 tablespoon honey or raw agave (more or less to taste)
- In a large bowl, mix together the rice cereal, oats, granola, pistachios, chocolate, dried cranberries, coconut, and salt.
- In a small bowl mix together almond milk, chia seeds and almond butter. Stir until almond butter is dissolved into almond milk.
- Add almond mixture to dry ingredients and mix everything together until a dough forms.
- Press the dough into a wax paper lined 8 x 8 inch dish or a bar pan. Place the dish into the freezer and let set for about 20 minutes, or until hardened. Cut dough into bars. Wrap the bars individually and store in the freezer or fridge.
What are your go-to healthy habits for 2014?
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Pistachio Health Institute.
These sound so good. I wish they were already made for me!
I am not a pistachio fan, but I bet my husband would love these! We do love making granola bars. 🙂
Ooo this looks so yummy! We love pistachios.
They look delicious! I love pistachios but I don’t use them often. I need to try this recipe!
I am always looking for new healthy recipes. I am going to have to try this recipe out.
These look so yummy! I love pistachios. I’m going to pin this one.
Oh those pistachio granola bars look out of this world amazing! I want a bite right now! We absolutely love pistachios! I have to hide them from my kids otherwise I would never get any. lol.
I love pistachios! I never thought to cook with them, great idea!
Am I misreading the ingredients? I don’t see almond milk on the list, but the directions call for it. I wonder how much.
Sorry, it should have been in there. 1/2 a cup of almond milk! Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
I have been looking for a good granola bar recipe so this is great! Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to try it out!
Wow!! What beautiful pictures and with my favorite kind of nuts. 🙂 Can’t wait to try this recipe
Wow!! What beautiful pictures and with my favorite kind of nuts. 🙂 Can’t wait to try this recipe
These sound sooo good! And your photography? Stunning!
Healthy habit #1 – MAKING THESE BARS!!!
Love, love, love homemade snack bars. They are so much better for you because you control the ingredients–low sugar, no preservative and usually yummy. These are a real winner. I like the idea you can substitute whatever you have in the pantry.
Thanks for sharing.
Lisa