BE WELL (Pumpkinseed, Date & Sesame) Snack Bars and a College Care Box!

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Collective Bias, Inc and its advertiser.  As always, all opinions are mine alone.  #BeHealthyForEveryPartofLife #CollectiveBias 

Sending your children away to college can be a very stressful and bittersweet time.  Feel better about it by creating a special "Be Well" Box, brimming with college essentials and a sweet, healthy homemade treat made with dried fruit and nutritious seeds from home, BE WELL Snack Bars. 

When it comes to sending your child off to college, I consider myself a bit of an expert.  I sent my third and last child off to college this year. If you've ever sent a child off to college you know what a emotional time it is.  On one hand, you are excited for their next stage in life and all that awaits them but on the other hand, well, they are your babies. You've invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in these kids (literally!) and now life requires you to just let them go. It can be heart wrenching, especially letting go of the control you've had over their well being all these years. 

You may find yourself spending a lot of time wondering about them a lot while they are away, because that is what a mother/father does. You may ask yourself,  "Are they getting enough sleep? Are they eating well? Are they making friends?  Are they happy?" One thing I've found helpful for my child and myself is to create a "Be Well" box.  A "Be Well" box is like a little hug from home full of essentials and a homemade treats.  

My "Be Well" box  for my youngest son contains a few items I know he will need at college. Items that will give me a piece of mind knowing he has them available when he needs them:  

Advil Liqui-Gels  with advanced liquid fast relief, are great for headache, muscle ache, and joint pain (when used as directed) because "nothing's faster on tough pain" (among OTC pain relievers). Pulling those "all nighters" can leave you with a bit of a headache the next day! 

Chapstick Total Hydration with nourishing argon oil, avocado butter and rosehip oils because he attends school in central Ohio and will be walking outdoors everywhere in all kinds of inclement weather that can be tough on lips. I love that it is 100% natural.  It is age defying, with Omega 6 & 9 and visibly renews lips. It is clinically proven to provide healthier looking lips. 

Centrum Gummies a multibenefit gummy mulitivitamin because does ANY college student eat right? Centrum Mulitgummy offers 100% daily value or more of vitamins D, B12, and E supporting energy, immunity and metabolism. They are gluten-free and contain no wheat, milk, soy, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish. 

Emergen-C for more healthy days, more healthy nights because you can't be there to make sure they are eating right and getting enough sleep. "Let your healthy out!" With over 20 varieties of vitamin supplement drink mixes, Emergen-C offers the formula, flavor, fix and fun you're looking for!

BE WELL Snack bars, my special treat from home...healthy delicious bars full of dried fruit, nutritious seeds and whole grains.  

A nice little pouch to keep all of his "essentials" in, so he can find them when he needs them! 

Pumpkinseed, Date, & Sesame Snack Bars

By Renee's Kitchen Adventures

Adapted from Cooking Light 

Healthy homemade fruit and seed snack bars made with pumpkin seeds, dates, and tahini

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 cups 7 Grain Puffed Cereal or Puffed Rice/Wheat Cereal
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2/3 cups chopped dried dates
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas)
• 1 TBS sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 11" x 7" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a 2 cup glass measure or small microwavable bowl, combine the tahini, honey, olive oil, vanilla, and salt. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute or until mixture is bubbly. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, combine cereal, rolled oats, dates, and pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Pour tahini mixture over cereal mixture and toss to coat.
4. Press mixture down FIRMLY into prepared pan. Make sure you press down hard to get a bar that holds together once cut. Sprinkle top with sesame seeds. Press down to adhere.
5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, or until firm. Cool COMPLETELY in pan before removing to slice. Slice into 14 bars.

Yield: 14 servings

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 20 mins.
Tags: snack, seeds, oats, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, healthy

When I was ready to send the box, I packed up the snack bars tightly in an airtight container and left a little love note on the lid. 

I added the rest of the essentials and shipped it off with love.  

What would you put in your "Be Well" box for your college student?  Would you include some of the same items I did? 

I found everything I needed to put this box together for my son at Walmart (including the ingredients for my BE WELL snack bars!) 

(use as directed)

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