Making Home Made Protein Bars

Protein bars are a great source of portable, easy-to-handle, take-anywhere protein. They can be packed in a lunch box, a gym bag, or even a coat pocket. They can be eaten at the office, in the gym, or even on the ski slopes. They are much less messy than a protein shake and easier to take than a handful of amino acid tablets. There is a plethora of choices on the market today. However, some people just like to have control of their supplements and foods. That is where the home made protein bar comes in.

Making a protein bar at home can seem like a daunting task at first. That is until you stop and think about the contents of a bar and realize that there are so many options. The actual ingredients can vary immensely. The flavor and consistency will depend on those ingredients and can be tailored to your taste. Imagination and creativity will go a long way in the home made protein bar market. It should also be noted that there are hundreds of sites on the internet with recipes for protein bars for those who want a cut and dry formula for making a home made protein bar.

The first ingredient in a protein bar, of course, is protein. The type of protein, and ultimately the amount, will depend on your preference and taste. More protein powder will give the bar a higher protein content, but a grittier taste. Less protein may mix smoother but the bar will have a lower overall protein content. There are other foods that can be added to increase the protein content also.

Nuts and seeds are great additions for adding some extra protein. Peanut butter, almond butter, or any other type of nut preserve will add flavor, protein, and improve consistency. Some people even shun the traditional protein bar recipes and go for a meat product. These bars are often made from dried, processed, and often chipped, meat or fish and flavored with steak, teriyaki, jerk, or other sauce flavoring.

For the traditional bar, egg whites add some extra protein also, and they provide a mixing base so the ingredients stick together. Cream or milk may be added also to aid in mixing, and boost the protein content. Many people use flour, oats, coconut, or a combination of ingredients to give the bar a solid form when baked. Chocolate chips, brown sugar, regular sugar, cinnamon, and/or vanilla can all be used to give the bar flavor.

Oil is another of the ingredients used to improve consistency and hold the whole mixture together. Yogurt or tofu can be added to the mix to make it smoother and provide a good mixing base. Some people opt for the no bake option, very similar to no bake cookies. The addition of the protein powder to a traditional no bake recipe can make for a tasty protein treat.

Mixing 2 to 4 scoops (depending on type and flavor) of protein powder, ½ cup canola oil, 2 egg whites, 1 cup flour, 1 cup oats, dash of salt, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup yogurt, 1 cup chocolate chips, and ½ cup peanut butter together with a mixer until it has a creamy texture and then pouring it into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan and patting it smooth, then baking for 15 minutes at 325 degrees, will yield a pan full of high protein bars that you can place in bags and freeze for future use. Give them a try, you may need to adjust ingredient amounts for texture and flavor to satisfy your taste.