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Looking for a healthier pumpkin treat? These Raw Pumpkin Bars are made from dates, soaked cashews and pumpkin puree and are absolutely delicious. The perfect lunchtime snack or after dinner dessert!
Day numero dos of PUMPKIN WEEK, so obviously I’m coming at ya with a dessert recipe. Or snack, whichever category you classify “bars” under. They’re definitely a great pack in your lunch snack, but they’re also an excellent after dinner dessert. Or….both. Yes, we’ll go with that.
Today I want to talk about food paranoia because, well, that’s what’s on my mind. What is food paranoia? It is exactly what it sounds like—being paranoid about what you eat. I think there’s a fine line between being mindful and being paranoid. To me, being mindful means being aware of what you’re eating and consciously trying to make good decisions for you and your body. Being paranoid is constantly checking labels, calories, ingredients, nutrients, etc. Now, I’m not saying knowing those things isn’t important—I myself try to look into ingredients on a semi frequent basis—However, I don’t think it’s necessary to constantly be checking those things ev.e.ry.time you eat.
Being mindful of what you eat and purposely choosing the salad over the sandwich is a healthy choice (unless you live in Pittsburgh and that salad is topped with french fries…). Simply put, lettuce is healthier than bread, so 9 out of 10 times, the salad is the healthier choice. It goes from mindful eating to paranoid eating when you start worrying about the ingredients on every single thing all the time. Unless you have a strict dietary restriction (i.e. gluten free), it isn’t super necessary.
For those who suffer from food paranoia, the really hard part is going out to eat. Once you start becoming overly aware of every.little.thing you ingest, there won’t be anything left to eat AND you won’t want to eat anywhere! And what fun is that?!
I know I constantly talk about “listening to your body” and all that jazz, but this post is more inspired by some things I heard recently, specifically that…. honey is bad, syrup is bad, meat is bad, all vitamins are bad, the Paleo diet is WRONG and the only correct diet is a raw vegan diet. While this may hold true for some, I really do believe that every body is different and responds differently to certain foods. ….which I suppose is why I don’t have a diet label. That is my belief, the end.
In short (except this post is getting rather lengthy..), YOU DO YOU. You do what works for your body. Think about food in a healthy way, meaning don’t think TOO hard about good vs. bad food.
Phew, sorry for the ramble—I had to get that off my chest! I think I was actually just mad to hear that maple syrup is bad because…..no and so good.
Coincidentally, these bars are raw vegan. Quite topical if you ask me.
The crust of these pumpkin bars is made from dates, pecans, walnuts, maple syrup, and shredded coconut, while the “icing” is made from cashews, pumpkin and cinnamon. I brought them over to Cassie’s house when she was home and her, her dad and Angela all said they liked them. WIN.
Ingredients
- Bottom layer:
- 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup organic maple syrup
- Top layer:
- 1 1/2 cup soaked cashews*
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup+2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp organic maple syrup
- Toppings optional:
- 2 tbsp pecans
- 1 tbsp walnuts
- Chocolate drizzle
Instructions
- Line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine bottom layer ingredients (dates, pecans, walnuts, coconut, syrup) together in a food processor and pulse for at least 30 seconds until everything is mixed together.
- Transfer mixture to dish and use a spatular to flatten it out; place dish in refrigerator.
- For top layer, combine cashews and water together in a blender and pulse until cashews form a creamy texture.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add pumpkin, cinnamon and syrup and stir either by hand or with an electric mixer.
- Pour overtop of bottom layer, add toppings if you wish and allow at least 30 minutes for bars to harden.
- Cut into bars and enjoy!
Notes
**Bars hold up best when stored in the refrigerator
Q: Do you understand mindful vs paranoid eating, or am I being crazy? <<it’s totally ok if you think I am.
Clara sulpice says
Is the pumpkin purée the canned pumpkin, or did you just finely chop raw pumpkin. Going to make these for me and my husband's 20th anniversary.
Erin says
Yes it's just canned pumpkin 🙂 I hope you like them!
Cassie @ Almost Getting it Together says
FORGOT TO GIVE THESE FIVE STARS!!!!
Cassie @ Almost Getting it Together says
Being paranoid of food isn't fun. I can speak from past experience.
I am going to remake these ASAP because I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since you brought them over. Bring some to SF please. xoxo
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
You are not being crazy Erin - I totally get mind-ful eating over paranoid eating and I couldn't agree more with the "YOU DO YOU" adage! Now, having said that I am totally fascinated by the thought of a salad that is topped with french fries! 🙂
And - these bars sound amazing - love the base and yay for pumpkin!
Monique @ Bupees to Bubby says
Well said!! I couldn't agree more- I honestly don't think there is a single "diet" or way of eating that everyone should follow- we are all different and different things work for all of us. My boyfriend had gut issues and has tried so many "diets" and came to the conclusion that a mix of all of them works best for him- doesn't mean one was right or wrong, just that they didn't single handedly work for him. He wrote a really great guest post/review of the Whole30 on my blog which people seemed to enjoy since he wasn't one that thought it changed his life- you don't tend to hear stories where it doesn't work for some people! http://burpeestobubbly.com/2015/05/29/guest-post-rms-review-of-the-whole30-program/
Dani @ Dani California Cooks says
I had some pumpkin bars for dessert last night! Although they were baked and not raw :).
I think it just goes back to the idea that if you're eating whole, real food - you're definitely a-OK. I am certainly hyper-aware of the food that I'll eat, but I've found that beyond anything, portion control is what makes me feel happiest and healthiest, no matter what I'm eating!
Kelly @ Kelly Runs For Food says
I totally agree with you. Some people have managed to make their diets completely clean, but I've personally never known anyone that perfect, especially not myself. At a certain point, when your food paranoia is taking up a significant part of your day, it's no longer "healthy," it's obsessive.
I've eaten more than my share of pizza and cookies (made with actual butter) in my day and I'm managing just fine!
Kate says
These are beautiful!
I don't have a diet label either and I'm so over being a paranoid eater. Paranoid eating is a life saving technique for those with food allergies, but for people like me, it is just another source of stress. The added stress to me and to those I'm dining with eventually became apparent to me, so I decided to learn to let it go. I like how you compared paranoid to mindful to show they are not the same.