To be confused by healthy homemade flapjacks

[noblegiraffe]

I've read on here quite a few times on healthy lunchbox threads people talking about putting a homemade flapjack in their supposedly healthy offering.

DS starts school next week so I thought I'd give making them a go. Sugar, butter, golden syrup and a few porridge oats.

AIBU to be confused as to what is considered a healthy snack?

Too true bottom

Pretty much everyone in my office is on some fad diet at the mo. due to needing to loose weight.

Two of us aren't. We're the ones who eat what we please, but in moderation. And do some excercise - not gym bunny stuff, just fitting walking in as part of lifestyle.

Lot to be said for no banned foods, just a little bit of what you fancy.

DDs school doesn't have a nut ban - or any food bans at all, noble.

I was surprised after all the lunchbox police threads!

We blitz banana, dates and a spoon of agave nectar together instead of the pure sugar. And butter still

Then do 60% oats, 40% nuts and seeds.

Ours out fairly healthy I think

inmy never tried to freeze them but they last about a week in a Tupperware. Love the idea of nuts and seeds, mmmmmmm

Where on earth can you buy 'nectar'

Agave nectar- erm Waitrose, tesco, sainsburys. Most supermarkets I think

I agree, I've often seen this on mumsnet portrayed as healthy, another one is "homemade cake"

Reminds of many night duties where the 'mum' of the unit would make flapjacks for us, and swore blind that they were only worth 2 weight watcher points. we were young,honest

Really, wow never seen it thought it was fiction actually
What does it look like?

Agave nectar is brilliant. Great in porridge with berries and seeds or all of that in natural yoghurt.

Nothing wrong with a flapjack.
Yummy.
It's four flapjacks that are a problem

Everything in moderation!

We run a tuck shop at the dance school. Homemade always sells out way faster than the "junk" that's full of additives. The idea is that homemade doesn't contain the E numbers and crap. Yes it's a bit of butter and sugar but its more natural and parents much prefer that, as do the kids.

"lunchbox bans" piss me right off tbh. And mine aren't even at school yet. I understand if there's a child with an allergy, but the arbitrary exclusion of specific foods is unhelpful and misguided IMHO.

Spb - it just looks the same at honey/ golden syrup ( and in the same section in stores I think). I always thought everyone used it? We used to have on porridge as kids

But there is something wrong with 'a flapjack' when its the size of a small child

No I read about it in books and dreamed about it while I ate my value cornflakes with water and walked six miles to school in my holey shoes :o

Ahem not really. Just have never heard of it in the context of actual ingredients

What I consider good for my DSSs is very different to what I consider good for myself. Both boys are the kind of skinny where we're not to worry but worth keeping an eye on. DSS2 is ok but DSS1 has very little appetite. So they always get lots of grated cheese to put on their pasta. It has protein and calcium and boosts their calorie intake for the day. They eat lots of raisins as they're obsessed. High sugar but preferable to sweets.

I try to avoid too much cheese and dried fruit and limit my cake intake yet I encourage it in the boys as they need feeding up! With that in mind, homemade banana bread and flapjacks are a good addition to the hummus and carrot sticks.

Agave syrup is not necessarily going to be better. There is a whole debate if you google about it's supposed merits. Here's one. I have no idea who is right, but it's interesting reading the bun fights.

www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-agave

forevergreek I love the banana, dates, agave nectar combination. Am thinking of adding coconut oil to that with oats and seeds (no nut policy at school). What kind of ratios do you use and how long do you cook it for, if you don't mind me asking. In small amounts, this would be a brilliant lunch box addition for me my dcs.

Maryz Absolutely, I agree, active kids need lots of calories and better to get them from butter and nuts and dried fruit than more processed stuff.

Oh no way! don't ever put butter or oil in them! Bananas, Pitted dates, Oats, shredded coconut, cranberries, honey (only a touch)

Very healthy indeed. My 19 month old son loves them.

My kids are thin and tall. They are active all the time. I make them homemade flapjacks for lunch boxes as it gives them a homemade filling snack with no additives. If you cut the flapjacks into 3cm squares they're not bad calorie wise, and on days when the kids have swimming or sports after school they can be quick and filling.

They are v v fattening though. I blame soup dragon. Her recipe is just brilliant and because you add condensed milk you don't need to add any more sugar.

I make the Mumsnet banana flapjacks with dates and you don't even need any nectar or honey in it, it's sweet enough without. I also add chopped brazils and seeds in it.

I don't care if they are healthy I like them.