Okay, after my post earlier this week, I decided to lighten the mood and bring you some delicious blueberry zucchini oatmeal bars that I whipped up a few weeks back. With it being both blueberry & zucchini season, I didn’t want either of those ingredients to go to waste, thus, this recipe.
Blueberry Nutrition Facts
I love blueberries, but more importantly, I love blueberries in season. Why? Because they just taste better. Honestly, if you’ve never gone berry picking, do yourself a favor and go pick some fresh berries in your area while they last. They are so warm and you get some sweet, some sour but all incredibly flavorful. The best part is that the closer to being picked they are, the more nutritious they are.
That means, while sure, berries year round are still good for you, they do not all pack the same punch that in season berries do. What, then are blueberries known for you ask?! Well, if you don’t ask, I’m still going to tell you:
Good source of fiber at 4g/1 cup
Source of vitamin C, to help your healthy immune system at 24% per 1 cup
Rich in antioxidants which help to reduce oxidation that occurs from life’s stressors in the body
They are about 85% water, so a nice form of hydration
May help fight/prevent/delay chronic disease
Hidden Veggies
Most people are amenable to fruit. Honestly. I never realized how vegetable-averse our culture was until I started my line of work as a dietitian. Most of us have no problem getting 2-3 servings of fruit per day but we barely (as a population) get 2 or 3 servings of vegetables per day.
I think maybe it’s because we don’t know how to cook vegetables and that is why we don’t like them. Anything not cooked properly can taste off-putting and thus not enjoyable. I highly recommend finding how you like your vegetables and aiming to eat plenty of them daily. The one way you can get them?! Hide them.
That’s right, a dietitian is allowing you to hide your vegetables. This recipe allows you to not only use up all those zucchinis you have from your friends garden but also allows you to enjoy them in an unconventional manner. While you can certainly still see the zucchini in these bars, the zucchini itself doesn’t offer all that much flavor so even the pickiest of eaters might like these bars.
Blueberry Zucchini Oatmeal Bars
Put the blueberries together with the hidden zucchini and you’ve got these magical blueberry zucchini oatmeal bars. I brought my first batch to the gym and they were gone instantly. The second batch I kept for myself and missed them when they were finally gone. This isn’t a complicated recipe, so for those non-bakers out there, have no fear, you won’t have to be a master baker to figure this recipe out.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know if you try it as I’m always curious how they turn out when others make them. I added a few extra blueberries on top of mine when I made them, so feel free to add more to make it even more berry-filled.
Pro Tip: Make sure you squeeze out the excess water from the zucchini with a cheese cloth or a paper towel & discard the liquid.
1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1/2 a medium zucchini) (squeezed of excess water)
1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy)
3/4 cup milk (choice)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup blueberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8”x8” baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix oats, baking powder, cinnamon & salt together
In a large, mix zucchini, peanut butter, milk, egg, vanilla, & maple syrup
Combine both bowls in the large bowl then fold in blueberries
Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center. Slice into 12 even slices. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Okay, go on and enjoy this simple & tasty recipe and let me know how it turns out.
I would love to know:
What are you favorite ways to hide vegetables in your food?!
If you make this recipe, make sure you tag @thesassydietitian and use #sassyapproved so I can check out your creation.
xoxo,
Sassy
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Pin Now, Hide Veggies Later
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