Crunch, crunch, crunch…and I ate a bunch! (But over several days, obvs!)
Guess what I did last weekend? I made meal replacement bars for my husband! He likes to grab a bar to go for breakfast when he’s in a hurry, but I know there are healthier breakfasts than Slimfast bars (*shudder*), so I finally got him to agree to eat them if I made them!
I used vanilla bean whey protein powder, as well as my homemade granola (using home-dehydrated strawberries instead of dried cranberries), along with the last of the psyllium powder I bought months ago at the behest of my doctor, and added in some ground flax seed too. I used egg whites to increase the stickiness of the ingredients without adding extra sugar (which most granola bar recipes use), plus it increases the protein in the recipe. The combination of fibre and protein should keep him full from breakfast to lunch. And, no preservatives! Winning!
The protein comes from the protein powder, the oats (they have a surprising amount of protein!), the egg whites, and the seeds. Diverse sources of protein, plus some omega fatty acids in the form of flax seeds, combined with lots of plant fibre, means a healthy breakfast that packs a winning punch!
Am so pleased with myself for developing this recipe!
Vanilla Bean & Granola Meal Replacement Bars
- 4 c. homemade granola
- 32 g. vanilla bean protein powder (I used a whey based protein, as I don’t digest pea protein well)
- 1/2 c. ground flax seed
- 1/2 c. psyllium powder
- 1/4 c. oat flour (i.e. ground oats)
- 1/2 c. honey
- 2 egg whites, lightly whipped
- 1/4 c. oil
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Line a 9×9 baking tray with parchment paper. Pour mixture into lined tray. Place more parchment paper on top, and press an 8×8 tray on top of that. Really press on it (I admit to standing on it on one foot). This smushes the mixture into a compact form, and helps the ingredients bind together so that the bars are less likely to crumble.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Let cool in pan. Once cool, remove from pan, place on a cutting board, and cut into bars. Et voila — meal replacement bars!
Rows of crispy, hearty, fruit and seed flecked bars!
I tried to figure out how to eliminate the honey, but all the granola bar recipes I researched use it as a binding agent. I did use a much smaller amount than most recipes, and relied on the flax seed powder, oat flour, and egg whites to bind the ingredients together.
Personally, I’m more of a chocolate than a vanilla person, so had I made them for me, I probably would have dunked them in chocolate, in addition to adding in chocolate chips. I left them out in this recipe, as the DH isn’t a chocolate person (who knew they existed?). If you made these with chocolate chips, let me know what you think!
Next Post: Erm…food. A post about food. Something yummy, at any rate!
Linking Up at Meal Plan Monday! And here too!
I hate to be a clean freak snob (NEVER), but I assume your foot was clean before you stomped on your dinner? Oh wait, it was your husband’s breakfast bars and they weren’t chocolate. Nevermind.
Jeannie
GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com
Totally lol! I actually pressed a clean pan on top of the granola-filled pan, and stepped on the top pan (which I obviously then washed before returning to my cupboards). But yes, it wasn’t chocolate so I was able to pass it up without using up too much willpower. 🙂
I love the idea of a meal replacement bar (especially since my pants are tight after the holidays). These look delicious. I like the ingredients in the them.
I hear you on the post-holiday pants! And yes, I try to be pretty wholesome about what I eat. Except for chocolate. Chocolate trumps everything! 🙂