National Granola Bar Day
Unleash your snack time superhero with these power-packed, on-the-go bites. Energize your day with a tasty blend of wholesome ingredients and unstoppable deliciousness!
To honor all those busy times when a small cereal bar helped you make it through a hectic day at work or provided vital sustenance during a hike in the woods, start celebrating National Granola Bar Day right away!
History of National Granola Bar Day
Nutritious, yummy granola is typically based on rolled oats full of proteins and useful fibers.
The predecessor to the granola bar, simple granola seems to have been invented in 1863 by Dr. James Caleb Jackson in Dansville, New York, as he was looking for a food for his health spa. A few years later, John Harvey Kellogg worked to make granola more appealing for patients.
Granola had been an increasingly popular type of breakfast food since the 19th century, but wasn’t compressed into a snack bar for another 100 years or so, around the 1970’s.
There’s been a dispute on who invented granola bars, but Stanley Mason is often credited for creating this compact form out of loose granola by pressing it. However, other sources give credit for this invention to Edward Thayer, Sr. who first sold them in Chico, California.
To produce a firm bar, granola is bonded with honey, butter or syrups, and it is then baked. The exception are the chewy variety of granola bars which are either briefly baked or sometimes even completely raw.
The biggest fans of granola bars tend to be hikers and other outdoor sporty types whose energy depends on highly nutritious snacks. But granola bars are also a favorite and convenient snack for moms to give to kids in lunch boxes or on the go.
National Granola Bar Day was established as a food holiday to show appreciation for this convenient and nutritious snack that may help to promote a healthier lifestyle.
How to Celebrate National Granola Bar Day
Show some love for this powerful little treat by sharing in the celebration of National Granola Bar Day including some of these ideas and activities:
Make Homemade Granola Bars
The perfect way to celebrate is to find a home-made granola bar recipe and learn how to make them. Or, even better, get creative with some unique and individual recipes.
Just throw in your favorite fruit, nuts, spices or chocolate, add some maple syrup or honey, press the bars into a pan and bake or just allow them to harden on their own.
This is a fun project for families with kids who like to learn in the kitchen, teaching them not only how to follow a recipe, but also how to make choices that are healthy and nutritious.
Once these delicious granola bars are finished in the kitchen, perhaps it would be fun to wrap them individually in waxed paper and tie with some twine for a cute, rustic look.
Then pass them out to neighbors, friends, coworkers or school mates, to share in the occasion of National Granola Bar Day!
Read the Granola Bar Box
While granola bars do have the reputation of being healthy snacks, some of the bars on the market today are not actually that good for you. Some are loaded with sugar or chock full of preservatives and other chemicals.
So, in honor of National Granola Bar Day, be sure to read the box carefully and choose granola bars that are made from real food, contain authentic ingredients and are low in unnecessary additives.
(That’s why many people like to make their own granola bars at home – so they can control what ingredients they put in them!)
Learn Some Benefits of Granola Bars
As part of the celebration of National Granola Bar Day, consider building hype and awareness for the day might be done by sharing some benefits of granola bars with friends and family. Check out some of these:
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Lower Cholesterol
The soluble fiber in granola bars can help reduce the harmful bad cholesterol buildup in the blood vessels.
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Prevent Anemia
The natural ingredients included in granola bars, especially the homemade kind, include lots of iron which helps build red blood cells and prevent fatigue.
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Source of Fiber and Protein
When a granola bar includes whole grains and nuts, it is a source of protein and fiber that helps clean out the digestive system and also provides energy.
National Granola Bar Day FAQs
Who invented the first granola bar, and why?
Stanley Mason is credited with inventing the granola bar in the 1970s. As an inventor of practical items, he pressed granola into a bar shape for portability, aiming to create a compact, nutritious snack that avoided mess.
However, some sources credit Henry Kimball with a similar invention in the 1970s.
Why do some people call granola bars “flapjacks” or “muesli bars”?
In the UK and Ireland, granola bars are known as “flapjacks” due to their similarity to a traditional oat-based treat.
Australians and New Zealanders call them “muesli bars,” emphasizing the mix of oats and fruits, which aligns with their region’s unique muesli-based breakfasts.
What are some unusual ingredients in international granola bars?
Japan incorporates flavors like matcha and sesame into its rice-based granola bars.
Meanwhile, European variations include dried apricots, hazelnuts, or even seeds like chia, adding to their appeal as a health-conscious snack.
Is there a religious or cultural background to granola?
Granola’s ancestor, “granula,” was developed in 1863 by Dr. James Caleb Jackson. He promoted it as a purifying food to calm the spirit, hoping it would spiritually prepare individuals for the “second coming.”
This health-oriented and religious perspective influenced early granola’s popularity among health enthusiasts.
What makes granola bars popular among outdoor enthusiasts?
Lightweight and energy-dense, granola bars gained popularity in the 1960s among hikers and climbers for their high-calorie, nutrient-packed composition.
Their popularity continued with the environmental movement, which emphasized natural foods suited for active lifestyles.
Did granola bars become popular during wartime?
Yes! During World War II, cereal bars, similar to granola bars, were part of soldiers’ rations.
They provided portable, calorie-dense fuel that could withstand rough conditions. These war-era rations influenced the post-war popularity of similar snacks in the U.S.
How do people celebrate Granola Bar Day in creative ways?
People make unique granola bar flavors, such as spicy chili or tangy lime.
Some even organize “granola bar swap parties,” where friends share homemade bars with interesting ingredients.
Another idea is a granola bar layering challenge to build bars with maximum ingredients in a single bite.
Are there any myths about granola being overly healthy?
Granola bars are often seen as super healthy, but not all are. Many commercial bars contain sugars or fats similar to candy bars.
Despite this, the term “granola” still evokes health-conscious eating, which isn’t always accurate without reading ingredient labels.
What was granola’s role in 1960s counter-culture?
In the 1960s, granola symbolized the counter-culture’s embrace of “back-to-nature” eating.
It became a staple among health food enthusiasts, especially at festivals like Woodstock, where it represented simplicity and nature-based living.
What surprising flavors exist in the granola bar world?
Beyond the standard honey oat, bars today feature exotic ingredients like lavender, turmeric, and wasabi.
These additions make granola bars appealing to adventurous eaters, adding unique tastes and cultural flair from various regions.
Need some inspiration?
Check out these videos for some extra inspiration in getting involved!
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