Protein Bars!

When we go on a road trip they're usually at least 10 hours long. So having snacks in the car is important! It's time saving and it reduces cost all along the way! We always travel with Luke the Goldendoodle and being able to make fewer stops to grab a bite to eat is a big help. It also helps you make good choices. A homemade protein bar instead of packaged cinnamon rolls is definitely going to help keep your energy up!

I cut these into 10 bars. 

 You can cut them a bit smaller and get 16 bars out of this batch. 

Here is how we did it. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw mixed nuts

1/2 cup pitted dates

2 cups old fashioned oats

4 scoops chocolate protein powder

2 packets stevia powder( if you don't have this you can omit it, or use brown sugar) 

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 cup water (add 1/2 cup first then continue to add water a little at a time until the mixture starts to he together)

*Tip! To add extra calcium without too many additional calories, replace the water with unsweetened almond milk!*

Using a food processor pulse nuts and dates to a medium coarse grind. 

Next add the oats, protein powder, stevia powder, and peanut butter. Pulse a few times. 

Now add the chocolate chips, dried cranberries and 1/2 cup of water. 

Pulse a few times. Keep adding the rest of the water a little at a time until your mixture looks like this and hold together when you squeeze it. 

Pour the mixture from the processor onto a sheet of wax paper. Using another sheet of wax paper press it into a square.

Now wrap it up and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. 

Then cut into bars. 

Wrap each bar in a piece of wax paper and you have some protein bars ready for whatever adventure life takes you on. 

Nutritional information:

For a batch cut into 16 bars:

Per bar

165 calories

7.8 g fat

19.3 g carbs

8.1 g protein

6.9 g sugar (if you used brown sugar this information will change)

Today's workout is a 30 minute yoga and stretch. 

Melody