A Simple Recipe For Protein Bars
Because sometimes you just have to make your own Protein Bars!
Today I wanted to re-share my recipe for protein bars with you! I just made a bunch of these for myself, although I play it off that it’s for my kids. They are so tasty and satisfying and if you enjoy that “real” food taste, then these are for you!
I really got interested in these tasty treats back while cramming in college, just a healthy way to satisfy that deep hunger you get. I learned all about protein in my coursework, what it’s primary function is, how to utilize it to boost performance in athletes, and how it effects me on a cellular level. I loved it all!
Here’s what I am going to be talking about today:
- Of course introduce myself.
- Tell You WHAT Protein Is
- Discuss Current Protein Bars In Your Grocery Store
- The Problem With Protein Bars…YOU WILL AGREE!!!
- My Super Secret Amazing Delicious Protein Bar Recipe!
So are you ready to hear the BEST PART about all of this? Following my recipe for protein bars will cost you about a dollar for every protein bar you make! Trust me, you can’t find that in stores! If you can, comment below and let me know I would love to eat one and review it!!!
Who Am I?
I am a mother of 4 amazing children living on a small to medium sized family farm outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. We have a large garden, fruit trees, cows, chickens, and even pigs! It’s our little slice of heaven that I want to share with you. It ALL comes from the FOOD we eat!
A huge priority in my life is knowing exactly where my family’s food comes from. It’s important to eat foods that you enjoy, while also improving your overall health. I am a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) and Entrepreneur and I guess you could call me a farmer too!
Being a mother of 4, we are running around constantly and I wanted to have something quick and easy and NOT MESSY to give to my kids that they like to eat. So I started making these Protein Bars pretty regularly for the past year or so.
I eat them for breakfast mainly, and with my metabolism, that’s all I need until lunch. It’s amazing how that protein keeps you full so long! I love protein!
What Is Protein?
So what is this thing everyone is going crazy about? What exactly does it do? It seems obvious that Protein is so important to a healthy diet. It is the building blocks of life. Protein helps build muscle, and burn fat.
This stuff is what we call an “essential macronutrient”. I talk a lot about macronutrients on the site. Here is a perfect article to help you learn more “What All This Talk Is About Macros!“
Did you know that Protein helps your body stay full longer? Your body uses more time and energy to digest and absorb protein than any other macronutrients!
It is important to pair protein with carbs to help control the sugar highs caused by consuming carbohydrates. Protein also helps your body to efficiently burn fat and it repairs muscle and tissue damage….. did I mention how much I love protein? Anyways, if you really want some details on this amazing building block of life here’s a good list of places to find out.
My Favorite Resources
Current Protein Bars
I have been trying out a lot of different brands of protein bars lately. Some have been good, and some have been terrible! I prefer the bars with 20+ grams of protein per bar.
The Problem With Protein Bars
Most of the protein bars are not very natural, and the few protein bars on the market that are natural or organic, are really expensive (4$ a bar)! That is too much, especially when my kids always want a bite.
My Protein Bar Recipe
I decided to try to make my own. I tried a few different recipes and combined a few recipes, and added a few of my personal favorite ingredients to come up with a pretty good bar, they cost about $1 each, and you know exactly what goes into them!
ingredients:
2 c | organic quick oats |
1 c | organic peanut butter |
1/2 c | raw local honey |
1/2 c | organic apple sauce |
2 T | chopped dark chocolate chunks |
1 c | vanilla protein powder |
1/4 c | chopped dried cranberries |
2 T | chia seeds |
2 T | flax seeds |
1 t | cinnamon |
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Once well mixed, press onto cookie sheet (or bottom of 13X9 pan. Place into 350 degree oven for 15-20 min. Once bars are slightly brown and firm, remove and let cool. Once cooled cut into bars (I used a pizza cutter to cut mine).
Depending on the size of the bar you prefer, these have roughly 20-25g of protein in them each, 300-320 calories, 27-32g of carbohydrates, and 12-15g of fat (you can used reduced fat peanut butter if you want less fat).
Hope you enjoy, my kids like these crumbled into their greek yogurt for breakfast! Yummy!
Sarah Williams MS, ATC, CSCS
sarahwilliams@thedietdoc.com
513-571-5434
www.thedietdoccincinnatieast.com
If you want to lose weight, the easiest way would be to decrease the amount of calories you consume each day. Lowering the fat or carbs would help with this. Fat contains 9cal, carbs contain 4cal. Lowering the fat would assist in decreasing the amount of calories. All the macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) are important in the right balance and combinations. They all have important roles in digestion, hormone function, and body function.
How many grams of sugar are in this bar? Also, I seen you listed a option to decrease the fat content. Curious to why someone would want less fat….pertaining to the type of fat that is used in this bar.
Hello! Thank you for the questions. It is almost impossible to determine the grams of sugar in each serving. It would depend on the size you make the balls, the type of honey, etc. The reason why I think some people may want less fat, would be if they were trying to lose weight. I personally do not limit “good fats” in my diet, or my family’s diet. Some people who are following lower calorie nutritional guidelines with the goal of weight loss may want to decrease fat when possible. Great questions, thanks!
So if I were wanting to limit my calories with the goal of weight loss Your recommendation would be to lower the fat in this bar as opposed to the carbohydrates?