It’s that time of year where everyone seems to be getting sick and stomach viruses are being passed around like crazy. I usually follow the BRAT diet when I’m feeling sick (banana, rice, applesauce, toast). During my recent bout of nausea, I wanted nothing to do with that diet.

The only time I felt OK was when I was eating a small portion of something crunchy, and seed bark worked out perfectly for me. It’s super easy to travel with and it took me about five minutes to put all of the ingredients together, which is ideal for when you don’t feel great.

After making these, I immediately became hooked. I thought about how great these little seed bark chunks would be as an on-the-go snack or breakfast. I thought about how they would make a great dessert by adding some dark chocolate. Even better, the extra crumbles that are left on your baking sheet make great toppings for parfait or oatmeal.

On top of all of these new ideas budding in my brain, I also realized how healthy these snacks are. During my vegan eating phase, I had read about some of the benefits that these different seeds can have for you:

Chia seeds have a lot of nutrients like fiber, protein, and omega-3s in just a small amount of seeds.

Ground flax seeds are also filled with fiber and omega-3s. Both of these seeds form a sort of “jelly” when mixed with a small amount of water. In fact, a lot of vegans use flax meal to make a “flax egg” to use in baking.

Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are a great source of many vitamins and protein. They also provide you with a lot of iron and zinc.

Sesame seeds offer a high concentration of iron and calcium.

Sunflower seeds are high in minerals, vitamin E, and B vitamins.

After analyzing each element of this recipe, I am beginning to think this might be one of the healthiest things I’ve ever made. This has become another one of my regular go-to snacks/breakfasts that I plan to always have on hand in my house. Even better, a batch of seed bark can last you a long time (if you don’t scarf it all down in one shot). Here’s my recipe:

Seed Bark

Ingredients

1 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp maple syrup or agave

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, making sure the whole mixture is covered in a thin layer of syrup.

3. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pat the mixture down with a spatula to be about 1/2 inch thick, then sprinkle with salt.

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and shape (you can use a glass to make circles or make straight cuts with a knife to separate into bars). Be sure to use oven mitts and be careful not to touch the hot pan.

6. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Once they’ve cooled, you can pick them up just like a granola bar. Whatever crumbles are left are perfect to go on top of oatmeal, yogurt, salads, etc. Store in an airtight container.

I plan on making a batch of these every Sunday to have throughout each week. The first batch made 12 circles with tons of leftover chunks (some big enough to be mini bark bars, but they were so good that they only lasted 3 days in my house. I can’t wait to make my next batch with cranberries or maybe chocolate and cinnamon!