How to Make Popped Amaranth Energy Bar with Fruit & Nuts

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES

MEAL: SNACK-DESSERT

STYLE: WESTERN

FOR OCCASION: TRAVEL-FRIENDLY, KID-FRIENDLY, MOVIE-NIGHT, GAME-NIGHT

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Sink your teeth into a nutty, fruity, honey-sweet Popped Amaranth Energy Bar with Fruit & Nuts. Juicy apricots, nourishing almonds, and the light satisfying crunch of amaranth make this an energy bar set apart from the rest. Nothing keeps you going strong through a long day at work, school, or hiking like this easy recipe for stamina.

Burst of Energy

Amaranth, also referred as "Popcorn of the Gods" by the Serendipitous Chef, is as tasty and fun as tiny popcorn when it bursts on a hot pan. Amaranth proves to be much lighter than oats as the base for an energy bar, giving you easy access to enduring strength. Honey plays a dual role - it's stickiness makes it a perfect binder for the amaranth, nuts, and apricots, but it's the quick delivery of glucose that helps you feel a sense of relief after just one bite.

These bars boast a high protein content in an easy-to-munch package. Amaranth and almonds are both great sources of sustaining energy that is great for trail hiking, or simply a long day.

Homemade-Safe

Store-bought energy bars are sneaky culprits for disguising processed sugars and preservatives in a health-food wrapper. They are such a tempting choice, teasing you with stamina when you're tired, simplicity and convenience. Fear not! You may still enjoy the easy nourishment of an energy bar by making this simple recipe at home. Dried fruit and honey are the only sweeteners you'll find on the list of ingredients. Popped Amaranth Energy Bars with Fruit & Nuts are exactly what they claim to be - healthy, nourishing, and satisfying.

Heart Healthy

Amaranth has been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, making this a great snack for the sweet tooth of kapha constitutions. Popped is the preparation of choice for those dealing with obesity, water retention, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure thanks to its drying nature.

Dry Quality & Vata

Dried energy bars provoke Vata unless each bite is chased with a sip of water. Dense, dried fruits must be chewed well for delicate Vata digestions. Otherwise, Popped Amaranth Energy Bars with Fruit & Nut are a healthy, compact, light snack.

Be Creative!

Feel free to add any other nuts, seeds, or dried fruits into the mix. Some yummy ideas are Brazil nuts, walnuts, and pistachios, flax, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries. Allow this simple recipe to be your jumping off point into the fun world of homemade energy bars!

Discovered at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market, Keegan Crumpacker Catering, New Mexico.

WHAT IS POPPED AMARANTH ENERGY BAR WITH FRUIT & NUTS?

History of Amaranth from Wikipedia:
Amaranth grain was one of the staple foodstuffs of the Incas, and it is known as kiwicha in the Andes today. It was also used by the ancient Aztecs, who called it huautli, and other Native America peoples in Mexico to prepare ritual drinks and foods. To this day, amaranth grains are toasted much like popcorn and mixed with honey or molasses to make a treat called alegra (literally "joy" in Spanish).

Amaranth was used in several Aztec ceremonies, where images of their gods (notably Huitzilopochtli) were made with amaranth mixed with honey. The images were cut to be eaten by the people. This looked like the Christian communion to the Roman Catholic priests, so the cultivation of the grain was forbidden for centuries.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic. Learn More	DRY ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis. LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY MOBILE ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR HOT ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation. LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	SWEET ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET ASTRINGENT ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying. LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded. Learn More	AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	Subtaste: Aromatic AROMATIC Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues. SEE ALL 'AROMATIC' FOODS / HERBS , Crunchy CRUNCHY Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation. SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS
HERBAL ACTIONS (see all)	Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Popped Amaranth Energy Bar with Fruit & Nuts Experiences are Personal Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition. Digestion: Appetite Suppressant APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain. SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS Bowel Health: High Fiber Laxative HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr SEE ALL 'HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS Mind, Stress & Sleep: Nerve Relaxant Grounding NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts. SEE ALL 'NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING' FOODS / HERBS , Relaxes Eyes RELAXES-EYES Eases tension in eye muscles, so the eyes feel less strained, often by supporting the liver. SEE ALL 'RELAXES-EYES' FOODS / HERBS Energy Vitality: Stimulates Energy STIMULATES-ENERGY This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs. SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS , Satisfies Stomach SATISFIES-STOMACH Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach. SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS , Builds Stamina BUILDS-STAMINA Promotes strength, endurance and resistance in the body. Rebuilds weak tissues after a time of depletion. SEE ALL 'BUILDS-STAMINA' FOODS / HERBS , Nutritive NUTRITIVE An herb that is strengthening and nourishing. SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Tonic TONIC A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine. SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS Skin Care & Beauty: Diaphoretic DIAPHORETIC An herb that induces sweating, often by dilating blood vessels close to the skin. SEE ALL 'DIAPHORETIC' FOODS / HERBS , Soothing SOOTHING Calms and alleviates irritation, discomfort or pain in a particular region. SEE ALL 'SOOTHING' FOODS / HERBS Respiratory-Health: Soothes Throat SOOTHES-THROAT Soothes throat discomfort, including from a sore or ticklish throat. SEE ALL 'SOOTHES-THROAT' FOODS / HERBS , Warms Chest WARMS-CHEST Warms the chest and lungs, clearing mucus and allowing for clear breathing. Often these herbs are hot, aromatic, and pungent. SEE ALL 'WARMS-CHEST' FOODS / HERBS , Clears Sinuses CLEARS-SINUSES Cleanses sinuses by draining excess mucus, allowing for clear, easy breathing. SEE ALL 'CLEARS-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS Heart & Circulation: Cardiac Stimulant CARDIAC-STIMULANT Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area. SEE ALL 'CARDIAC-STIMULANT' FOODS / HERBS , Blood Tonic BLOOD-TONIC An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency. SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS Kidney & Urinary: Diuretic DIURETIC Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure. SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS Weight Loss: Lowers Blood Sugar LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR An herb that lowers blood sugar. SEE ALL 'LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR' FOODS / HERBS , Hypolipidemic HYPOLIPIDEMIC Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells. SEE ALL 'HYPOLIPIDEMIC' FOODS / HERBS Reproductive Health: Promotes Virility PROMOTES-VIRILITY Encourages virility and potency. SEE ALL 'PROMOTES-VIRILITY' FOODS / HERBS , Testosteronic TESTOSTERONIC Androgenic. Stimulates testosterone. SEE ALL 'TESTOSTERONIC' FOODS / HERBS Strength, Muscle Health: Muscle Relaxant MUSCLE-RELAXANT Herbs that relax muscles. Helpful for chronic pain or tension as well as healing from physical trauma. SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-RELAXANT' FOODS / HERBS , Relieves Tension RELIEVES-TENSION An herb that releases tightness, constriction, and rigidity in a muscle. SEE ALL 'RELIEVES-TENSION' FOODS / HERBS , Muscle Tonic MUSCLE-TONIC Herbs that strengthen and tone muscle tissue. Helpful for people recovering from long term illness and debility, or after a sprain. SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS Constituents: Coumarin COUMARIN Moderately toxic, vascular tonic, hypotensive, and anti-inflammatory. SEE ALL 'COUMARIN' FOODS / HERBS , Magnesium MAGNESIUM Helps muscles relax. Laxative. SEE ALL 'MAGNESIUM' FOODS / HERBS , Aromatase Inhibitor AROMATASE-INHIBITOR Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen. SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS , Tannins, Protein, Phytates PHYTATES Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar. SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS , Melatonin, Phosphorous, Fats, Vitamin E, Betaine BETAINE Used to reduce homocysteine in the blood, which supports proper liver function and prevents fatigue and blood clots. Improves muscle stamina and weight loss. SEE ALL 'BETAINE' FOODS / HERBS , Soluble Fiber, Calcium CALCIUM Calcium nourishes bones and muscles. A muscle cell is activated when calcium enters the cell. It relaxes when the calcium is secreted. SEE ALL 'CALCIUM' FOODS / HERBS , Selenium, Carbohydrate, Manganese, Iron IRON Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells. SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS , Potassium

Foods with a Similar Nature to Popped Amaranth Energy Bar with Fruit & Nuts

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Popped Amaranth Energy Bar with Fruit & Nuts

Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.