Homemade Protein bar Recipe – The Basic Formula!

Healthy snack seems to be a rarity! Do you feel our lives could be complete without snacks? Whether it’s a bag of chips or a candy bar, we are all surrounded by snacks. When UN wrapping a bag of chip or opening a candy bar, no one ever realizes how unhealthy it could be. All we can think of is stupid, untimely hunger. Some health conscious individuals care to look for protein bar recipes but most of us are intrigued by and attracted to the unhealthy alternative.

Potato chips are way too greasy, and lack any nutrition while the candy bars are loaded with extra sugar to make them tastefully good. They can give you a temporary energy boost but that will wear off soon enough and you will hungry as ever. Besides, you will have great regrets about unhealthy snacks later in your life. On the flip side, a protein bar will give you longer lasting energy and the limited calories is an assurance that you are not going to put on extra weight.

Various types of protein bars are reaching the market these days according to the nutritional requirement of different people. The plus point is that all such protein bars are presented in a huge variety of flavors. Since they incorporate different nutrients and high quality protein in these bars, the price often gets out of control. So if you want a large supply of protein bars, it will probably not be a good idea.

Grabbing a couple of these while on the go is fine but you can also have your own protein bar recipe. Aside from the fact that making your own protein bars will help you save some money, it is also an opportunity to customize the snacks as you desire. With your own protein bar recipe, you will be in full control of the ingredients. You can easily cut down on fats, carbohydrates or anything you want to avoid.

For a basic protein bar recipe, the main ingredient is protein powder along with fillers like oatmeal and a binder to keep everything together and give a nice bar shape. It takes two cups of oatmeal to be mixed with 10 to 20 grams of protein powder. The most frequently used binder in homemade protein bar recipes is honey which also happens to be a great taste enhancer. Slightly heat a cup of honey and add it to the dry mixture. Meanwhile heat a slightly greased pan and pour all the mixture over it. Press it down nicely so that everything gets packed.

When it is sufficiently cooled, you can cut it into equally sized bars. This is the most basic protein bar recipe that can be altered according to your own taste. Add some dried fruits or nuts or top the whole thing with melted chocolate. Or you can place some chocolate chips along with caramel sauce but don’t overdo it because you don’t want extra calories. Store the bars in a sealed jar or wrap it in a wax paper to take along in your bag.

Defining High Fiber Pure Protein Bars

Fiber is an essential constituent that must be incorporated in every meal. Whether it’s a general diet or a weight loss diet, you need fiber in it. Moreover, there are innumerate advantages in taking high fiber pure protein bars in your meals. It’s the presence of fiber in these energy bars that make you feel satisfied and full for longer periods of time. This nutritional component regulates the health of colon because it presents an excellent source of dietary fiber.

Most of the high fiber pure protein bars have cereals such as oatmeal as the major ingredient. Other prominent ingredients could be nuts, flax seeds and other grains laden with high fiber. In case of high fiber pure protein bars, some dried fruits like pomegranate, blueberries and cranberries are often added as flavor enhancers to the bars. Besides being a source of high fiber, these fruits can double the concentration of antioxidants which is yet another plus point.

Usually when there is high fiber and more protein in a bar, the taste gets compromised. However, some manufacturers add flavor enhancers and they are able to create a pretty good taste. This will also help the dieters or other individuals get over with their sweet cravings. Usually, when we get a craving for having something sugary, it happens to be a muffin or candy bar that goes into your system. For people who are already on a diet plan, taking sugar laden snacks every now and then can disrupt your whole dieting regime and waste all your efforts so far.

But not worry, because some high fiber pure protein bars are drenched in chocolate or your personal favorite flavoring ingredient while the inside contains real healthy nutrients. Another way to make high fiber bars delicious is by adding peanut butter or chocolate chunks throughout the bar. If you are even more health conscious, you can take alternate fiber bars containing carob chips rather than chocolate.

Foods That Provide Protein

Having a diet rich in protein is very essential but you also need to make sure that the diet also has other necessary nutrients in it. This leaves us with several options for a protein source which includes both animal and vegetarian sources.

On an average scale, at least fifty grams of proteins is required in a healthy diet. There are several factors you need to see before you decide on the best protein source for your need. You could use meat as a source but that would involve certain amount of fats an carbohydrates that will make your cholesterol levels rise. On a diet based on vegan materials you will probably require greater quantities as compared to meat but you don’t have to worry about blood sugar on such a diet.

Another important consideration is the sodium content in the required protein diet. If the sodium levels exceed too high it may lead to high blood pressure problems. Foods rich in protein will keep your appetite satisfied for the day and will keep you healthy and fit as long as you maintained a balanced diet.

• Animal Sources

There are various animal sources available and many of them have large amount of proteins but they differ in the nutritional value. Meat from fish is much more recommended as compared to red meat but they both have their advantages.  

• Red Meat

Red Meat provides a great source of protein as well as energy for the important functions of the body. Since the red meat has a main component of fat, it gives the body about 40% of the total energy requirements of the body. However red meat provides the energy that is only about fifteen percent of the food have.

Nutritionists recommend lesser consumption of the red meat since it involves giving exposure to certain serious medical conditions like heart disease, obesity, and some types of cancer and diabetes. On the other hand lean red meat is a more recommended option by the dieticians everywhere since they have lesser fat content in them.

• Chicken

Chicken constitutes of a very affordable and easy to prepare source of protein available. It also has other very important nutrients like iron, zinc, B vitamins etc. It may be wrong to say that every chicken meal has the same amount of protein and fat content. It varies greatly depending on the color of the chicken meat and the methods used for cooking it. For cutting out the unnecessary fat in the chicken and substituting the protein content required by the body, make sure to use baked or roasted chicken rather than fried one.