The whole idea of Anytime Bars is right in the name; you never know when hunger is going to strike, and you want to be ready to take advantage of those moments to nourish yourself. A lot of my clients take these portable packets of pleasure to chemo sessions. It may seem odd that people want to eat during treatment, but many do, and these bars are a delicious, healthy alternative to the bowls of sweets so often found around infusion centers. The great thing about this recipe is that you can change the ingredients to fit your taste preferences. You can even split the batter and make half with currant and cranberries and the other half with walnuts or whatever you’d like. These bars come together very quickly with the food processor, but if you don’t have one, you can certainly chop the fruit and nuts by hand.

　　

Ingredients

makes 25 bars

　　1 cup raw pecan halves

　　1 cup whole raw almonds

　　2 tablespoons spelt flour

　　2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

　　2 tablespoons finely ground flaxseeds

　　1/4 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/8 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/8 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

　　1 cup pitted dates, quartered (preferably Medjool)

　　1 cup unsulfured dried apricots, cut in half

　　1 organic egg

　　5 tablespoons maple syrup

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil a 9-inch square pan.

　　

Step 2

Spread the pecans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, until aromatic and slightly browned. Watch them carefully, as they can burn easily. Repeat this process for the almonds. Turn down the oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 3

Combine the spelt flour, all-purpose flour, flaxseeds, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a food processor and process for 5 seconds to combine. Add the pecans and almonds and pulse 5 times to coarsely chop the nuts. Add the oats, dates, and apricots and pulse 10 to 15 times, until the mixture is well chopped but still coarse.

　　

Step 4

In a large bowl, whisk the egg, maple syrup, and vanilla together until thoroughly combined. Add the fruit and nut mixture and use your hands to mix thoroughly, being sure to separate any clumps of fruit. Spread the mixture in the oiled baking pan in an even layer and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set and golden brown; don’t overbake, or the bars will be too dry. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then cut into 25 squares. Leave the bars in the pan until completely cool so they’ll hold together when you remove them.

　　

variation

Step 5

When it comes to changing up the mixture, the only limit is your imagination. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

　　

Step 6

Use walnuts instead of pecans.

　　

Step 7

Add 1/4 cup dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries, raisins, or currants when mixing together at the end.

　　

Step 8

Add 1 tablespoon of grated orange zest when mixing together at the end.

　　

Step 9

Add 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds when mixing together at the end.

　　

Step 10

Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut when mixing together at the end.

　　

Step 11

For a gluten-free version, substitute a gluten-free muffin mix for the spelt flour and all-purpose flour. While oats don’t contain gluten, they’re often processed alongside wheat, so if your sensitivity to gluten is extreme, be sure to use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats (Resources).

　　

storage

Step 12

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for 2 months.

　　

nutrition information

Step 13

(per serving)

　　

Step 14

Calories: 120

　　

Step 15

Total Fat: 6.5g (0.6g saturated, 3.7g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 16

Carbohydrates: 14g

　　

Step 17

Protein: 2g

　　

Step 18

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 19

Sodium: 35mg

　　

WHO KNEW? Just the Flax, Ma’am

Step 20

Flaxseeds have gone under the microscope, and scientists like what they’re seeing. In a well-respected study in Montreal, a researcher had biopsies from women who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer but weren’t scheduled to undergo surgery for another 8 to 12 weeks. Dr. Jeanne Wallace says that the researcher “sent the women muffins in which she baked flaxseeds or placebo muffins, without flaxseeds.” After the women underwent surgery, the researcher compared their postsurgery biopsies to the baseline tissues. “She was able to show that just this flaxseed intervention, over a period of not quite three months, was able to slow the growth rate of the cancer and to reduce estrogen signaling” (which has been linked to some breast cancers). Wallace says flaxseeds are preferable to flax oils, which oxidize easily, making them potentially damaging to health, rather than healing.

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.