Protein bars are little wrapped parcels of power that you can take with you wherever you go. Partner it with a protein drink and they'll allow you easy access to one of the most important weapons in the fight against flab, giving you the energy and appetite suppression you need to take your training regime to the next level.
Want to step up your protein bar game? Well, now you can take matters into your own hands. Just make sure you have the necessary
protein supplements at your disposal and take a run at making your very own protein bars at home. Once you get the hang of it, feel free to substitute different ingredients to add your own spin.
Chocolate and peanut butter go together like…well, chocolate and peanut butter, making these protein bars extra delicious. Your forearms will even get a bit of a workout when putting the dough together. The tiring kneading is balanced out by the fact these don’t even require baking time. Devour these bad boys before your next work out and get ready to pump and push harder and further.
Ingredients:
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1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
8 scoops chocolate protein powder (do not use whey)
16 packets of sweetener
3 tbs unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup, 2 tbs unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Instructions
1) Line a 9” brownie pan with parchment paper both ways, set aside.
2) Blend the oats until flour-like and place into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in protein powder, sweetener, cocoa powder and salt, set aside.
3) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together peanut butter and almond milk. Stir in half of the dry ingredients. Once mixed together, add the rest and mix using your hands.
4) When the dough can form a ball, knead it until it’s even throughout and then flatten it into the prepared brownie pan.
5) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Slice and serve the next day. Store protein bars covered in the refrigerator.
This recipe is packed with a stack of great protein sources and lets you have the sweet taste of your favourite muesli whenever you want. Toss in different nuts or oats or a different flavour of protein powder if you prefer to switch it up every now and then.
Ingredients:
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source: spabettie.com[/caption]
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or skim milk or a different unsweetened non-dairy milk)
3 tbsp honey
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups museli of your choice
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds
1/4 cup quinoa (leave it uncooked for ultimate protein benefits)
Optional additions:
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp flour (if needed to help bars hold together)
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 175
2) Combine milk, honey, banana and chia seeds in a medium-to-large bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside.
3) In a separate bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
4) Slowly and evenly add mix of dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients. Mixture should be pretty wet, but if you think it’s too wet add flour.
5) Spray an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with oil and press batter tightly into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking after 20 minutes to see how done they are. Bars are finished when they are firm in the middle and look dry.
6) Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before cutting into bars. Store bars in airtight container or under plastic wrap in refrigerator.
As we said, one of the best things about making your own protein bars is that the basic concept remains the same throughout different recipes. This one is great because it features ginger, a flavour not normally associated with protein packing.
Ingredients:
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source: runnowwinelaterblog.com[/caption]
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 cup oats
1 cup corn flakes, crushed
1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
1) In a saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter and whisk in syrup. Add milk and protein powder and whisk until smooth.
2) In large bowl, add oats, corn flakes, almonds, sunflower seeds and 3/4 of the ginger pieces.
3) Pour melted butter mixture over dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly.
4) Line or spray 9x9 baking pan and transfer mixture into pan. Press down tightly into even layer with wet hands.
5) Sprinkle shredded coconut and remaining ginger piece on top and press down into top of mixture.
6) Bake at 160 for 20 minutes. Let cool before cutting.
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