Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe with Fresh Strawberries

I too love strawberries. i NEVER buy organic. There's no reason to wonder why grocery stores are making more and more room for organic. They make a TON more money on it. So many people are complaining that soon we won't be able to afford those yummy fruits and vegetables because they will offer nothing but "organic" at a much higher price. So sad. We are in Wegmans town here. I LOVE Wegmans, and their produce has always been the best out there, but they have their own organic farms here too. It's all about the money. Offer BOTH equally, please! Let us CHOOSE. Out. :)

pam

I pick and choose what I buy organic. The Environmental Working Group publishes a "dirty dozen" list each year to show the top 12 pesticide laden foods. I try to buy these in organic as often as possible. They also print a "clean 15" in which they conclude there is no reason to buy organic.

Here is the Dirty Dozen list: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/mobile/

Danielle

These look great!

Just to add to the organics or not conversation - a good reason to buy organic for those who can is because of the negative impacts of pesticides on the workers picking the berries. We don't get nearly as much exposure as consumers, but people picking get a TON. Just throwing in my 2 cents! (Also a non-organic banana once killed my whole worm compost...)

Strawberries are actually at the top of the dirty dozen. Regulations need to be way more strict in the US!

Anjali

I totally agree on the butter for flavor. Last week I put together a banana nut muffin batter only to find my nut supply had vanished [visiting daughter got at them?] so having already subbed applesauce for butter, I just went ahead and baked them nut-free. Talk about blah-tasting! I had to slather them with butter after the fact.

This crumble looks like another yummy Snack Girl recipe, healthy and easy too. Regarding organics, I would like to mention that its been reported strawberry crops are the no.1 pesticide-ridden fruit in the USA. And, I'm in complete agreement that offering both non-organic and organic is desirable for the general public to choose. Personally, I've reckoned with the extra $ for strawberries [and certain other produce]. In CT it's usually $1-3 more per quart. I'm fortunate to be able to offset this with frugality in other areas. I don't judge others for their choices or needs but just think it's nice to arm people with available current research. As an old bird who remembers wistfully when all food was organic I think it's a crime that profit and greed has bought our food protectors, namely the USDA. I'm under no illusion that organic is truly organic but hope its a bit better for me and my family. I also kinda like being called crazy, its served me well for 69 years :) Happy strawberry baking!

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php

BarbL

I love to bake and freeze breakfast items. Do you know how these hold up with freezing?

JoAnne

Be sure to pay attention to the pan size on this. I made it in a 9 x 13 metal pan, and the bars didn't set up. But they are delicious, even if I have to eat them with a spoon! I'll pass on organics. Last time I brought home sweet potatoes, I had bugs boring into them on my counter. I'd rather have pesticides!

Debbi

I buy organic whenever possible, particularly produce on the Dirty 12 list, because I have seen the amount of spraying in my area and don't want to eat food with the pesticides on it. I doubt we are pesticide free but I can at least reduce the amount.

Anne

To replace the white whole wheat flour - do you mean 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup of wheat flour OR use the two flours to make a total of 3/4 cup (as listed in the recipe for white whole wheat flour)?

Kerri

What's the reason for sprinkling with a teaspoon of cornstarch? I can't figure out what this would accomplish.

Erika

Green points are always more than Blue and Purple - Please check :)) These sound delicious!

LISA V FENDER

How would you substitute other flours such as almond flour or coconut flour to bake this?

Emily Beard

Erika -- the reason for the cornstarch is to thicken the strawberry layer as it bakes. The sprinkle of sugar on top of the strawberries will make them exude their juices a bit, and the constarch will jell it up a bit.

Marlene

In the organic vs conventional debate, I come down right in the middle. I eat local. The local strawberries, along with asparagus and apples, are so good that I eat tons of them when in season, and go without for the rest of the year. I don't know how much spraying local berry growers do, but based on the Google search just I did, it seems that berry growers in NY only started spraying recently with the arrival of some exotic invasive fruit flies, and are working with Cornell U to adopt the best IPM practices. That's good enough for me. I'm fortunate to live in an area with a robust network of farmers markets and these days it's obvious that supporting decentralized food production is a good thing.

Margaret

I do both organic and non-organic depending on price and place on the dirty dozen list. Only buy local berries as the ones from CA are tasteless. Don't like the rock hard under-ripe berries they ship from out of state.

Debbie

I made this tonight and it was wonderful. Substituted tapioca for corn starch and only had 3/4 lb of strawberries but they were plenty. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe it’s a keeper !

Mary Stange

Do we have to add the ginger?

Kimberly ★★★★★

Yes, organic is more expensive but the taste difference is worth it alone, then add in the health advantages to the consumer AND the field worker. At least give non-organic a good vinegar wash so you aren’t ingesting those nasty chemicals.

Laurel

Snackgirl, what is the maximum amount of time these bars can stay in the freezer?

Taylor ★★★★★

These are REALLY GOOD! My Family Loves them! Thank you! I take out the 1/2 of cup for crumbly, and I add the juice of one lemon to the crust instead of squeezing the juice over the strawberries. Perfect!

Patricia ★★★★★