There is nothing like a good protein bar to fuel you up before or after a long workout or a school game. It is a healthy grab-and-go snack for a picnic or a weekend outing. Although almost all stores these days carry one kind of protein bar or the other, they come with a price, literally! Not only are they expensive, they also contain artificial ingredients and too much sugar that do more harm than good.
Home-made protein bars do not take much time and you have control over what’s in them.
Below is the recipe for a popular fruit and nut bar. It contains nutritious almonds and delicious cranberries with a touch of sweetness from honey and syrup to hold it all together. These protein bars are wholesome enough to serve as breakfast and get you through till the next meal.
And the best part is, they are protein packed and healthy but taste like dessert!
Health Benefits
- Protein bars are convenient and healthy protein supplements. Protein is an essential nutrient for the body that supports all structures. It helps in building tissues and muscles. It also helps build immunity and gives continued energy.
- Protein bars can be an ideal meal replacement for the high-protein diets and weight loss programs.
- Eating protein bars between meals helps reduce overeating and eating junk food.
- Protein bars offer instant and steady energy after workouts.
Ingredients
almonds (roasted and mildly salted ): 2 cups
puffed rice cereal: 2/3 cup
Coconut flakes: 1/2 cup
dried cranberries: 2/3 cup
Honey: 2 tbsp
brown rice syrup: 1/3
Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
How To Make Almond Cranberry Protein Bar
- In a mixing bowl, add almonds, cranberries, puffed rice, coconut flakes and mix well.
- Keep ready a baking dish lined with butter paper.
- Add brown rice syrup, honey, and vanilla extract to a saucepan and boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- When the sauce boils for around 5 minutes, pour it right away into the almond mixture before it hardens.
- Stir in the sauce so that it evenly coats the almond mixture.
- Quickly transfer the whole mixture into the baking dish and press it evenly with the bottom of a cup.
- Let the bars cool at room temperature for about ½ hour.
- Transfer the bars to a cutting board and cut them to the size and shape of your liking.
- Store them at room temperature in a sealed container until ready to consume.
Trivia
- Protein bars are sometimes mistaken for candy bars as they are found in the candy aisle of stores. Unlike candy bars, they contain very less fat and sugar.
- Protein bars are not energy bars. Energy bars contain carbohydrates in the form of sugar that only give quick energy whereas protein bars emphasize on protein and have very fewer carbohydrates and sugar
There are two types of protein bars- those that need to be eaten after a workout and those that are designed to be a snack. The snack bars are lower in calories than the after-exercise bars.