Pass the Bar

With training resuming and athletes getting back to fields, the biggest hurdle, along with the loss in performance, is regaining the balance of diet and nutrition again. The most popular go-to-snack amongst bodybuilders and athletes have always been protein bars. Protein bars have always been marketed as this must-have snack in your pocket if you want to get jacked or leaned or run faster but, as I have always mentioned in my previous articles too, it’s all a game of nutrition, and there is no holy grail. But protein bars indeed make our lives easier. I mean they are handy, easy to carry and complete my nutrition, it’s a win (but it’s definitely not a must).

So here I am back with another recipe. Previously, I shared my hacks with pizzas, bulk shakes and oatmeal, this will be the recipe for making protein bars at home in an economical way and also less processed.

To make a protein bar, you’ll need four elements:

1. Base: This will be the major part of the body of the bar like the flour in a dough. The most advisable one is whey protein and any flour of your preference. Something like copra, coconut flour, almond flour or oats will be a good go-to choice. 

2. Binding agent: Binding liquid is essential to hold the bar. Milk and/or cream are the go-to liquids. Cow milk is the popular choice while almond milk can be used as a vegan substitute.

3. Flavour bite: Berries, kinds of butter (peanut butter, almond butter), nuts and/or anything you’d like to crunch on for taste (pistachios, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds etc.).

4. Coating (optional): A dark chocolate coating, for example, might add a little sugar but then by the time you are under your daily caloric limit, there’s no harm with some tasty chocolate.

Here I am sharing the go-to protein bar that I make at home:

Ingredients:

1. Blended oatmeal - 1 cup

2. Whey protein powder (Choco brownie flavour) – 1 scoop

3. Milk – ½ cup

4. Copra – ½ cup

5. Nuts and dry raisins

6. Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

7. Salt – ½ tsp

Procedure:

1. Take the oats and grind them to a fine powder if they aren’t

2. Take the powdered oats and add whey and cocoa powder (optional) and mix well

3. Add a little lukewarm milk and mix to form a paste

4. Add copra, nuts and dry raisins

5. Take a sheet of butter paper, spread it on and roll

6. Cut them into bars and keep them to freeze for 5-6 hours until firm 

7. Don’t keep them outside for long, consume soon when taking out of the fridge

You can experiment around with trying to make a bar of your own flavour. Salted Caramel, Blueberry, Coconut and Vanilla are a few of my other favourites. 

The beauty of homemade protein bars is that it gives you the superpower to adjust your macros according to the diet you follow. For example, someone adhering to a moderate-fat low carb diet can eliminate oats and add more peanut butter, while someone on a low-fat diet can add fewer nuts. It gives you the ability to choose your macro intake tailored to your needs.

I hope you give this a try. A much more affordable and viable hack to your fitness goals.

Stay safe and keep growing.