Intern Eats: Banana Oatmeal Bars

I started an internship on Monday that I'm pumped for, of course, even if I have to get up at 5:00 AM to shower and make it to work on time. Though I thought about trading that seemingly not-so-necessary shower away so I didn't need to rise before the frickin' sun, I figured I'd rather not be known as the smelly twenty-something in the office. Instead, to save time, I've found a few dishes I could make on Sunday afternoon that I could refrigerate for packable lunches and breakfasts to-go.

This recipe is super easy and keeps in the fridge well. I like to reheat them before I eat, and there are several different mix-ins you can add to your liking (peanut butter, dried fruit, chocolate, etc.). If you're a food monster trying to keep a New Year's resolution and a calorie journal like myself, each bar (1/12 of the recipe) packs 106 calories, if prepared as follows.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 12 bars

Ingredients: 
2 ¼cup rolled oats*
2-3 large ripe bananas**
¼ cup vanilla almond milk
½ tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup sliced almonds
1/8 tablespoon butter

*sometimes labeled "old-fashioned"
**4-6 small ripe bananas would also do (what I ended up using). Another cost-efficient option is to get a couple of jars of mashed up banana baby food. Bottom line is, your bananas need to be extremely ripe. Brown on the outside = soft and sweet on the inside. You can usually buy banged-up and older bananas on sale at the grocery store if you don't go the cheap baby food route.

Other stuff you'll need:
Large mixing bowl
8′x11′ glass baking dish
Measuring cups and spoons
Rubber spatula
Fork
Pot holders
Oven

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a glass baking dish.

2. Peel bananas and place in bowl. Mash 'em up with your fork. Reduce them to a un-appetizing gooey mess. Believe me, this is what you want.

3. Add oats and stir until combined.

4. Add almond slices, nutmeg, cinnamon, honey and vanilla almond milk to mixture and stir until combined.

5. Empty contents of bowl into greased baking dish. Smooth the surface with the rubber spatula and make sure all of the edges are filled in neatly.

6. Bake dem banana oatmeal bars for 30 minutes or until the edges become golden and crispy.

7. Wait for the bars to cool, then cut 'em up and eat 'em up. For your breakfast on the go, pair this clean energy boost with some yogurt, fruit, cottage cheese,  juice or a hard-boiled egg and you're set!

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