Keep a substantial snack in your car and desk.

Keep a substantial snack in your car and desk. Ever have a ten-minute errand take two hours? You end up super hungry and don't want to get fast food, but at this point you're starving! Plan ahead with a packable snack each day. Even better, plan ahead with long lasting snacks that you can pack once a week and not have to think about again. Even storing a gallon jug of water in your car can save an unnecessary purchase, be cautious of the material from which the jug is made for possible health reasons, though. A "just in case" bag of almonds or a protein bar could be all it takes for that had-to-work-late evening at work when you are hurry home to eat a late meal with your spouse or roommate. Make it an absolute priority to have something you can eat so you have no excuses to cheat on your budget (or your diet).

Crispy Granola Bars (or not so crispy - you choose)

This recipe makes 32 servings, whatever that really means! Bag them up in Ziplocs and keep them handy. If you bake BIG you can freeze some of them and save time, too. I have even heard of people carrying granola bars to hand to homeless people asking for money/food!

2/3 c vegetable oil

1 1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c honey (or corn syrup)

2 t vanilla

4 eggs

2 c wheat flour

2 t cinnamon

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

9 cups “stuff”: I use about 3 cups oatmeal, 3 cups Rice Krispies, 2 cups Cheerios, 1 cup chopped nuts; I've also made a dumpfest by using all the end bags of cereal that were accumulating. Flax seed, raisins - you name it!

Combine oil, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and eggs.

Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

Mix well.

Add 9 cups of “stuff” and mix well.

Spray your baking dishes and press into pans. For crispy bars I press half into a large jelly roll very firmly. I actually spray the bottom of a glass 9 X 13 and use that to press it down. For our softer bars I use a glass 9 X 13, don't press so firmly and it is thicker since it's a smaller pan.

Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes. For our softer bars I take them out near 40; for hubby's crispy bars 50 is about right.

Cut these into your desired size when they first come out of the oven, they will divide much better this way. Travel bars are easy to package and save in a Ziploc. We keep our bars in a sealed storage box.