Healthy Flapjacks

I've been toying with various recipes, trying to improve them nutritionally whilst still keeping their flavour. I've tried, tested, altered and tried again this flapjack recipe which can be tweaked slightly depending on your tastes.

Here's one I made earlier.

Ingredients

• 200g oats (regular porridge oats are perfect)
• 100g dried fruit*
• 5tbsp mixed seeds (ideally pumpkin, flax/linseed and sunflower)
• 1tbsp honey (any honey is fine, don't be duped into buying expensive Manuka honey)
• 1tbsp maple syrup
• 25g butter (full fat is fine**)
• 25g rapeseed oil

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5 / Fan 180 / 375F / 190C
2. Mix the dry ingredients and set aside
3. Gently melt the butter, oil, honey and syrup in a pan (don't let it burn and crystallize)
4. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, press into a shallow loaf/flan tin or onto a baking tray
5. Bake for 10 minutes covered with foil or baking paper
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes more, uncovered, until golden 
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool

*Dried fruit is high in sugar, which is fine in this recipe as it is distributed between 12 or so portions, but you may find that reducing the amount of honey/syrup reduces the sweetness if that suits your tastes. Here are the three most nourishing dried fruits - I'd advise adding at least one, if not all three, to your flapjack:

• Apricots: Rich in beta-carotene which is converted into vitamin A once inside the body, becoming antiviral and anti-carcinogenic (carcinogens are toxins that cause cancer). Vitamin A also supports the immune system as well as protecting the skin and lungs. Dried apricots in particular are packed with iron, essential for white blood cell production and haemoglobin production (the pigment in red blood cells) as well as increasing energy levels.They are a particularly good food to eat if you suffer from anaemia as a result of low iron levels. Dried apricots may also help to improve conditions such as low mood, anxiety and insomnia due to their effect on the nervous system. They are also high in vitamin C which, amongst other things, is great for the immune system. Another good reason to choose dried apricots is for their tryptophan content. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid (i.e. one that the body can't produce itself and therefore needs from food), it is required for the production of the 'happy hormone' serotonin. 
• Cranberries: Cranberries are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant which helps to boost the immune system and rid the body of toxins. They also contain selenium which is required for the production of two 'happy hormones': serotonin and dopamine. Cranberries are particularly beneficial in the treatment of cystitis and other urinary tract infections as well as stomach conditions; they contain proanthocyanidins which prevent bacteria from attaching itself to the walls of the urinary tract and the stomach wall.
• Prunes: Prunes are notorious for easing constipation, and this isn't just an old wives tale. They are packed with fibre which not only helps improve bowel regularity but actually absorbs and neutralizes toxins in the large intestines and eliminates them when you go to the loo. This means they have excellent detoxifying properties. By removing these toxins, prunes protect the body's cells and slow down the ageing process. Prunes have also been shown to improve the 'friendly' bacteria in the gut, preventing bad bacteria from breeding and causing problems. As with apricots, prunes are high in beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant which can also slow down the ageing process. They are also high in iron which boosts energy levels and supports the immune system.  

** Don't be afraid of using full fat butter in small quantities. As this recipe makes 10-12 portions, you're really only eating about 5g. Butter contains vitamin E which improves skin and hair quality, as well as selenium which our brains need to produce serotonin and dopamine, the 'happy hormones'.

What Makes This Recipe Healthy?

Oats

Oats are a brilliant source of B vitamins which primarily allow your body to metabolise other nutrients (i.e. taking energy from fats, carbohydrates and proteins). They also help to improve low mood, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability and insomnia due to their effect on the nervous system. A deficiency in B vitamins may result in dry and dull skin so for a better complexion pack as many oats into your diet as possible! Iron is also an important nutrient which oats provide. Iron is needed for the production of haemoglobin, it increases energy levels, prevents anaemia and transports oxygen to cells, including the skin which will make you glow and prevent dull skin - again making oats a superfood for great skin. Oats are a great source of complex carbohydrate and fibre, meaning their energy is released slowly which gives you energy for several hours whilst also curbing sugar cravings.

Seeds & Rapeseed Oil

Seeds and rapeseed oil contain the same nutritional benefits, so I've grouped them together here. The reason I suggest rapeseed oil over another oil or extra butter is firstly due to it's high Omega content and secondly due to its high smoking point, meaning its nutrients are not lost when it is heated (unlike olive oil, for example). Seeds and rapeseed oil are a fantastic source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids whose health-boosting properties are endless. They actually improve the efficiency of your body's fat burning process, essentially meaning you'll burn fat by eating (the right kind of) fat! Omegas are also vital for brain function and, in particular, normal brain development in children. They are anti-inflammatory; protecting joints (particularly in the case of arthritis or sports injuries) and promote the healing of any infections or wounds in or on the body. They also help prevent heart disease by unclogging arteries, also reducing high blood pressure and decreasing the risk of stroke and heart attack. Omegas are thought to improve depression and low mood due to their effect on the brain, as well as improving memory (and preventing memory loss in old age) due to their ability to build neural pathways in the brain. Seeds also contain B vitamins which, as I've mentioned, are great for boosting energy and helping your body to utilise other nutrients. The vitamin E in seeds and seed oil helps to improve the condition of your skin, hair and nails due to it's antioxidant properties and selenium and zinc, found in high quantities in seeds, are also antioxidants but also help with the production of 'happy hormones' serotonin, dopamine and endorphins in the brain. For your flapjack, I would recommend buying a packet of mixed seeds as well as a packet of chia or flax/linseeds; the latter two are extremely high in omega-3s.

Honey

Honey is high in sugar (around 80% of it is pure sugar) however it is so sweet that only one tablespoon is required in this 10-12 serving recipe, meaning you'll be eating a very small quantity. There are various claims that certain types of honey (namely Manuka) are particularly wonderful, however don't be fooled; honey is honey no matter what brand name it is given, no matter what region of what country it is from, and no matter what price tag it is given. The reason I recommend honey over sugar is twofold: firstly, it is sweeter than sugar and therefore less is required; secondly, as 80% of honey is sugar, the other 20% actually do provide some nutrients and even though you are eating a minute quantity, every little helps! The 20% of honey that isn't sugar contains Riboflavin (a B vitamin), potassium, sodium and calcium which are all essential nutrients, although like I said, you're only getting a minute quantity of each here so don't rely on honey for your nourishment.

Maple Syrup

As you might expect, maple syrup is also very high in sugar. However, as with honey, it does contain some (however small) nutrients. Maple syrup contains less sugar than honey but contains more iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc. It also has antioxidant properties which can help to boost the immune system, improve your skin's appearance and increase energy.

If you're interested in finding out about the nutritional difference between honey and maple syrup in more detail, there's a brief article here.

If you want to make a healthy, energy boosting granola for breakfast or to sprinkle onto fruit and yoghurt as a snack, use this recipe but remove the butter and instead just use 2tbsp rapeseed oil plus one of the sweeteners (i.e. have either 1tbsp of honey or 1tbsp of maple syrup). Bake it as you would a flapjack, and once it's cooled it'll crumble into a delicious crunchy granola.