Whether you like to exercise at home or at the gym, whether you like to take to the mountains for hiking, or you simply want to enjoy the benefits of a healthy breakfast on the go, it’s protein bars that are going to help you make the most of your time and activity.
Most protein bars are expensive to purchase in store, especially the ones without too much added junk, but you can make a dozen of them at home for a fraction of the cost.
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And you get the advantage of customizing with ingredients to your liking, so here are three good reasons to start making your own protein bars.
- They’re really easy to make. Very easy.
You simply choose your ingredients, and mix everything together in a step-by-step process until you get a smooth enough paste/dough to shape into protein bars.
- They’re a whole lot cheaper to make than to buy.
You know that reaction you get when you look at the grocery bill after you’ve purchased a box full of protein bars? No more of that with homemade options because these are cheaper to make since you’re the one who’s going to be doing all the work.
- They’re also a lot healthier.
Producers add so many artificial ingredients to protein bars that most found on the market are rather unhealthy contrary to what is advertised. But, with homemade bars, since you’re the one making them, you decide the sugar content and all the ingredients you add. You’ll see how easy it is to get the healthiest protein bars even with only a handful of ingredients.
Main ingredients for making protein bars at home.
One of the main energy-boosting ingredients to use for making protein bars is protein powder.
You can add various protein powders, such as whey protein that is considered better than others because it contains an impressive amount of essential amino acids, known to increase strength and muscle gain.
Tip: Choose unflavored protein powders for the healthiest option.
The second must-add ingredient is nut butter, any nut butter you like or a combination. Natural peanut butter, almond butter and cashew are the most popular options.
Between the protein powder and the nut butter, you’ll need to add safe to eat uncooked flour, anything from oat flour to coconut flour, almond flour and rice flour.
Choose your preferred sweetener – can be sugar, although most people use honey or stevia extract to rip as many benefits as possible.
Then add whichever ingredients are best for you. Examples include walnuts, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins, chopped chocolate, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, cocoa powder etc.
To bring all of the ingredients together, you can use milk, natural juice, vegan milks or water.
The great thing about homemade protein bars is you can make them using even a few ingredients like oatmeal, protein powder and milk or water. You can also add apple puree, a blended banana and other dried fruits.
Proportions can vary depending on how many bars you want to make, but you can use standard measurement like a cup for protein powder, then add about three quarters of the flour and about a quarter nut butter.
As for the liquid, you’ll need just enough to make a thick batter. You can transfer the dough to a baking dish and refrigerate overnight before cutting into bars or you can shape the batter intro protein bars right away and store for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.
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