Yummy, yummy in my tummy!

Just got the latest issues of Oxygen Magazine in the mail. Now while I love my monthly dose of Oxygen, I am sometimes annoyed at the frequency with which they recycle things; a treadmill interval program, a photograph of a model doing a particular exercise etc. Now I know that only long-time and faithful readers will pick up on these duplications, but still, I can’t help but feel that there are lots of ways to make each issue fresh and new.

For once, however, I was ecstatic to find that they had repeated a favourite recipe of mine. A recipe that I have been trying desperately to find in my four-year stack of back issues after promising it to a client. (Note to self, mark everything of interest with sticky notes during the first read-through; relying on memory is not a useful strategy here!).

It’s a recipe for home-made protein bars. A great alternative to those pre-made bars that are often full of sugar and a bunch of ingredients that you can’t pronounce (hint, if you can’t pronounce it, odds are it’s not natural!). And talk about easy; no bake, no mess, no cleanup. I like to make a batch of these, wrap them individually in plastic and freeze them for a quick breakfast on the go or a protein-rich after-workout snack (even I get tired of shakes!). Why don’t you go make some right now?

• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no salt, no sugar added)
• 4 scoops whey protein powder (I prefer vanilla, but chocolate might be good too)
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (these are your healthy Omega-3 fatty acids)
• 1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread into a 9 inch square baking dish. Freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer, cut into 8 bars, re-wrap individually and freeze until ready to use.

Nutrients per serving: Calories; 230, Total Fats; 10 g, Carbohydrates; 21 g, Sugar; 3g, Protein; 15g.

I have also modified this recipe by adding either 1/2 cup dried cranberries or 1/4 cup cocoa powder. The cranberry version has a slightly higher calorie count (due to the carbohydrates and sugars in the fruit), but is oh-so-yummy!