What is your favorite part of the day? What do you look forward to most?

Maybe it’s leaving work.

Meeting a long-time friend for drinks and dinner.

A hot shower.

Snuggling on the couch with your dog, cat, significant other, or all of the above.

Heading to the gym or your favorite fitness class.

Eating an awesome dinner that you cooked yourself.

A glass (or two) of wine.

Reading your favorite book.

Everyone has something that they look forward to during the day. And I believe it’s the little things in life that are the most enjoyable, that matter the most, and that get us out of bed every morning.

What’s mine? Don’t laugh.

Granola bars.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

I never used to eat breakfast. Both my parents had full-time jobs while I was growing up. As a child of the 80s and 90s, my parents did not have the flexibility to show up to work when they wanted. They both had full-time jobs that required them to wear suits, ties, jackets, high heels—the works. There was no “work from home” option.

Needless to say, every morning before work and school was chaos. My brother and I hated school, so both my parents had to fight every morning to get us up, ready, and out of the house, all while getting ready themselves. There wasn’t much time for breakfast.

I only ate breakfast when my mom made those Pillsbury cinnamon buns that came in a tube with the frosting packet. However, because of my parents’ rigorous work-week schedules, the blessed cinnamon bun event only occurred on weekends.

As I grew up and progressed through high school, college, and started working for a living, I never ate breakfast.

I know, I know… breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

When I worked full-time in downtown Boston, everything changed. I had a 90-minute commute one way, every day. So, I had to get up at 4:30 AM to catch the train in order to arrive at the office at an acceptable hour.

In order to keep up with the incredibly long days, I had to find ways to increase my energy levels so that I could function. I knew my diet needed a serious adjustment—and it had to begin with breakfast. Literally.

It was also when I started drinking coffee.

As someone with dairy sensitivities, I had to be careful about which foods I chose for breakfast. I couldn’t have cereal with milk, no cream or milk in my coffee, and no egg and cheese sandwiches.

I had to get creative.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Like 81% of females over the age of 30, I surfed Pinterest for recipes. I found a recipe titled, “Peanut Butter Granola Bars”. I immediately clicked on it and thought: It’s healthy and it will satisfy my daily peanut butter needs!

So, I gave the recipe a try…

Eureka!

They were absolutely delicious. They were healthy. They were filling. They were cheap and easy.

They were perfect.

Although the granola bars came out awesome, I wasn’t a huge fan of the original recipe. It involved adding sugar and vegetable oil (or coconut oil), which I wasn’t a huge fan of. Not in my food, anyways…

Over the years, I have modified the recipe to my liking. No sugar. No vegetable oil.

Oh, and a TON of peanut butter.

My Not-So-Secret Recipe: A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That… 

Although the recipe is derivative, I have modified the recipe enough that I feel comfortable calling it my own.

In fact, I have been making these for so long that I don’t even measure anything anymore. I can also predict exactly how they will come out by watching the ingredients form into delicious, peanut-buttery glory in my Kitchen Aid mixer.

Here are the basic ingredients:

• 2 cups of old-fashioned oats (*Do NOT use the oatmeal in a packet.)
• A cup or two or three of peanut butter (chunky or creamy, depending on your preference) (*For those with peanut allergies, you can also substitute peanut butter with almond butter, Sunflower butter [Sunbutter is my favorite], and apple butter.)
• A tablespoon or two or three of pure honey
• A cup of raisins (optional)
• A cup of unsalted peanuts (also optional)
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Once the ingredients are mixed fully, spoon the mixture into an 8 x 8 brownie pan.

Bake them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Allow them to sit overnight. (I let mine sit in the microwave so my cats don’t eat them.) This allows the ingredients to stick together really, really well, which prevents them from becoming too crumbly and falling apart.

Also, how you make them completely depends on how you prefer your granola bars. If you like them crispy, then use less peanut butter and bake them for about five minutes longer.

I, personally, love them soft and chewy. So, I use several heaping cups of creamy peanut butter, honey, and bake them for only 15 minutes.

And for someone who never ate breakfast, I don’t know how I could live the rest of my life without these!

8 Reasons Why These Granola Bars Make the Perfect Meal and Snack

I have been making these granola bars religiously for more than a decade. Although my dietary needs have changed over time, I have altered my recipe accordingly.

And, no, I haven’t gotten sick of them. In fact, I look forward to having them with my coffee every morning.

I get it. They are JUST granola bars and aren’t anything earth-shattering. But here is what makes them so awesome:

1. Easy to make

They take about 5-10 minutes to mix, and 15-20 minutes to bake.

2. Affordable

They cost about less than $15 to buy all the ingredients (which makes multiple batches!)

3. Healthy

They are also made with all the key ingredients needed for a healthy, energized, productive day:

• Protein
• Fiber
• Carbs
• Natural sugars (fructose and glucose)

4. They are filling.

These bad boys are incredibly filling, but won’t leave you with that gross, bloated feeling. I have calculated that one 3-inch bar (depending on how you cut them) is approximately 150-300 calories (again, depending on the size, and the level of ingredients).

5. They save time.

I make a huge batch once a week. They feed me breakfast (and maybe for a snack or two…) every single day for about a week, which saves time from making a different meal for breakfast every day.

6. Perfect for any diet.

They are a low-carb, high-protein, vegan, and dairy-free. Gluten-free eaters, you can probably substitute the oats with another gluten-free option.

7. Perfect for on-the-go.

These granola bars are easy to throw in a bag, a container, or a lunch box and take with you on the go whether you are headed to work, school, the gym, or on a road trip.

8. The family will love them.

They are sweet, healthy, and made with peanut butter (or again, another type of nut butter of y our choice). What’s not to love?

When my brother and cousin used to visit, and I would offer them a snack or a drink, they would both ask, “Do you have any of those granola bars?” One day, I texted my brother asking if I could come visit him at work. His reply: “Yes. But bring me a bag of your granola bars.”

Motivation and Mindset

So what is the ONE thing that you need to get out of bed every morning? MOTIVATION.

Through the years, enjoying these granola bars each morning with my breakfast is something I always look forward to. I go to bed each night and look forward to having my coffee, my granola bars, and my work the next morning.

I truly believe that the key is a successful, productive life is all in mindset. So, I encourage you to find what it is that gets you out of bed every morning. That silly thing that you love. That little thing that motivates you in a BIG way. That encourages you. That little thing you can’t get enough of. That makes you feel awesome.

So, whatever it is that you do every day, start it off with a healthy breakfast.