Homemade Protein Bars for Serious Athletes

[BendtheBar]

Homemade Protein Bars for Serious Athletes
by Mike Mahler (used with permission)

Homemade Protein Bars For Serious Athletes - Aggressive Strength Nutrition Article



Virtually all of the protein bars on the market are garbage. Loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients and low quality proteins, you might as well eat a Snickers bar--which is probably a better nutritional than most high-priced protein bars. The only worthwhile protein bar I can think of that is the Organic Food Bar, which you can find at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market and online. Still, even these are high in sugar and nowhere close in quality to the homemade protein bar recipe below. These homemade protein bars that are influenced by a recipe that I picked up from John Berardi are nothing less than super meals--extremely healthy and perfect for hard-training athletes--I eat them everyday and know that you'll like them as well.

Here are the ingredients you'll need:

1. Protein powder

Use your favorite protein powder. I highly recommend Sun Warrior protein and use it myself.

2. Almond butter

Loaded with protein and healthy fats, almond butter tastes great and binds the other ingredients together. You can also use any nut (or seed) butter you like: peanut, macadamia, cashew nut butters or hemp, sunflower or pumpkin seed butter. I prefer almond butter and this is what I mainly use.

3. Spices

Spices can turn good meals into great meals. I typically add ginger, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, which, besides tasting good, work to stabilize blood sugar and are anti-inflammatory.

4. Ground flax seed

Ground flax seed is good stuff. Besides providing a nice dose of fiber, it contributes magnesium and improves the good-to-bad estrogen ratio by clearing out harmful estrogens, such as 16-hydroxyestrone, and increasing the healthy estrogen, 2-hydroxyestrone. It also adds a nice texture.

5. Sweetener

Since the bars taste good without it, adding sweetener is optional; however, most people will prefer a sweeter bar. The only sweetner I recommend is Stevia. 1 teaspoon goes a long way so do not over do it with Stevia.

6. Almond Milk

Also optional, since you can use plain water to mix everything up, but I think almond milk adds an especially nice flavor. I use unsweetened Almond Breeze, which you can find at most grocery stores.

Here are the recipes:

Protein Bars

Vanilla Almond Protein Bar

4 scoops rice protein, vanilla

2 T almond butter

2 T ground flax seed

1/2 cup almond milk

1 T ground ginger

1 T ground cinnamon

1 T pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon of stevia

Preheat oven to 425. Mix everything in a bowl with a spoon until a thick paste forms. Divide into four parts, roll into balls, then shape into bars. Place on cookie sheets and bake 12-15 minutes.

Nutrition

calories 540

protein 70 gr

carb ~20 gr

fat ~20 gr

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bar

2 scoops rice protein, chocolate

2 T natural peanut butter

2 T ground flax seed

1 T ground cinnamon

¼ cup almond milk

Mix everything in a bowl, stirring with a spoon until a thick paste forms. Divide in two, wrapping each bar in aluminum foil. Place the bars in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you'll have two delicious bars, ready for breakfast or whenever you want a snack.

Nutrition

calories 365

protein 27 gr

carb 17 gr

fat 21 gr

Chocolate Pecan Bars

3 scoops Sun Warrior protein, chocolate
1 T ground cinnamon
1/4 cup pecans
2 T ground flaxseed
2 T raw almond butter
1 T non-dairy/gluten-free brownie mix
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Mix everything in a bowl, stirring with a spoon until a thick paste forms. Divide into 6 balls and place in the refrigerator for two hours. Preheat oven to 425. Place the six balls on a cookie sheet, flattening slightly with a fork, and bake for 12-15 minutes. These are delicious. Have three bars as a snack and the other three for dessert later.

Vanilla Pecan Protein Cookies

3 scoops Sun Warrior protein, vanilla
3 T sunflower seed butter
1/4 cup pecans
1 T ground cinnamon
1 tsp stevia powder
3 T ground flax seed
1/4-1/2 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 425. Mix everything in a bowl, starting with 1/4 cup almond milk. If the dough is too stiff, add more almond milk, one tablespoon at a time until you get a thick paste. Divide into 7-8 pieces and form into balls. Place on cookie sheets, slightly flattening with a fork. Bake for 12-15 minutes and you are locked and loaded!

[nighttrain]

hummmmmh sounds interesting

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by nighttrain

hummmmmh sounds interesting

And like work

[RickB]

The ones I've made were very simple.

Raw oats + PB + Protein then refrigerate. Granted they look like turds, they tasted great and I couldn't keep my oldest son from eating them like candy.

[swoleramon]

Originally Posted by RickB

The ones I've made were very simple.

Raw oats + PB + Protein then refrigerate. Granted they look like turds, they tasted great and I couldn't keep my oldest son from eating them like candy.

I tried something like that without peanut butter. I can see how they would look like turds with p-butter.

[bwys61]

convenience is so worth the price sometimes. however, i have been known to mix up some protein pudding

[BigFiveFive]

Originally Posted by bwys61

convenience is so worth the price sometimes. however, i have been known to mix up some protein pudding

Ooooo sounds nice, your secret?

[beam]

I'm gonna have to try some of these too.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by bwys61

convenience is so worth the price sometimes. however, i have been known to mix up some protein pudding

Recipe.

Just take instant pudding and add protein powder?

[bwys61]

yep, pretty much. you can get detailed if you want to and add some extras