I need three things to get my day going so early: A tall glass of iced coffee, thirty minutes of gentle yoga, and some protein and whole grains.
I’m not hungry when I first get up, nor am I in the mood to heat up the skillet before sunrise. These breakfast bars have been a lifesaver: I just toss one in my bag and nibble on it later on in the morning.
The protein powder is optional– if you’ve got some on-hand, it’ll give your bars a little nutrient boost. I use Vega Complete Whole Food Optimizer in Vanilla Chai, which adds a nice flavor.
Simple, Hearty Breakfast Bars
The Base:
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbs strawberry jam (here’s an easy no-cook recipe for your convenience)
2 Tbs peanut butter
1 Tbs coconut oil
1- 2 Tbs protein powder (Optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
The Goods:
2 cups whole grain oats
1/2 cup nuts or seeds of your choice
3/4 cup raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
1. Preheat Oven to 300°F and grease and 8×8 cake pan.
2. Combine the ingredients for the base in a large bowl and mix well. If you’re using the protein powder, the finished result will look like something found in a diaper but smell like a PB&J. This is normal.
3. Mix in the dry goods. Stir for about 2-3 minutes to get everything equally coated.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan and press with a spatula to distribute it evenly. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour (depending on your oven/pan), until the top is golden brown.
5. Cool completely and cut into 9 squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week (they’ll be eaten before then).
One of these little bars keeps me going strong until lunchtime; combined with good coffee and a good stretch, they give me plenty of energy to do what I do. They even taste wholesome. Enjoy them!
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I’d like to close this post with links to some other breakfast- bar recipes that I’ve tried and really enjoyed. If you’re looking for something a little sweeter, my friend Beth over the thedailygalette has got a fantastic recipe for granola bars on her blog. For a protein-packed bar that you don’t need to bake, Oxygen Magazine has a fast, easy recipe using whey protein. Both are delicious!
Sorry the posting’s been sporadic lately– got quite a bit going on right now. I’ll post later this week. Have a happy 4th of July!
I would love to see a photograph of these bars!