Healthy Granola Bars

In my house packing lunches has become a science project. 
One of my kids is really driven to eat super healthy and the other probably couldn't care less.
Neither one of them are picky eaters, for example we never had to make separate meals for the boys when they were little, they happily ate everything we served them. But now that our lives have become busier, with half of their meals consumed in a hurry, like breakfast and lunch, what I choose to feed them has become more crucial.
One of my boys is in school until 7-8pm almost every day of the week and so I need to pack him a large lunch and tons of snacks.. (Yes, I still pack his lunch- it's my little thing I have not been able t let go of).
So, I always try to find good healthy granola bars that are packed with wholesome ingredients, no preservatives, high in protein and low in sugar.
The ones that I like tend to be really expensive and so I decided to try my hand in it and it is surprisingly easy and affordable.
For example I made a batch of Chocolate, Date, Coconut bars (those are like the Lara bars that I adore)
Cost:
2 cups dates = $6
1 cup almonds = $1
1/2 cup coconut = $0.50
1/2 cup chocolate chips = $0.50
2 tbs flaxseeds = $0.10
= $8.10 for 12 bars = $.067 per bar (mine are a little smaller then Lara bars, but even if you made them larger, lets say you get 10 bars out of it, it still  would be $0.80 per bar.)

​Here are three recipes that we like in our family:
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