Kerry McClure – Practical Wellness
February 4, 2015
Instead of buying protein and breakfast bars, make your own! Store-bought bars tend to be loaded with sugar and protein isolates that are difficult to absorb. When you make your own, you have full control of the ingredients and can be assured of good nutrition as well as great taste and texture.
Vital Breakfast Bars
Makes 12 Bars
Ingredients
1 cup lightly toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
1⁄2 cup Medjool dates
1⁄4 cup dried cherries
1⁄4 cup dried figs
2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
2 tablespoon unsweetened carob powder or raw cocoa powder
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder
1 teaspoon maca powder
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1⁄4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons filtered water (or a little more, if needed)
Directions:
1. Using a food processor, grind nuts to a powder.
2. Add dates, cherries, and figs to the food processor, along with the ground flax seeds, carob or cocoa powder, protein powder, maca, spices, zest and shredded coconut. Pulse until mixture forms a ball. If mixture is too dry and stiff, add a bit of water.
3. Press “dough” into a shallow 9×13-inch pan or a smaller pan if thicker bars are desired. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, then cut into bar shapes and carefully lift out of pan. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Notes on Maca:
Maca is both a starchy root vegetable and tonic herb, native to the Andes Mountains of Peru and Bolivia. Maca is a cruciferous vegetable that resembles a small turnip. Most often, the maca root is sun dried and powdered. It has an earthy, smoky flavor, somewhat like carob, but with a complex and bitter aftertaste, due to its sulfur compounds.
The unique soil and climate of the high mountains provide maca with an array of micro and phyto nutrients that contribute to its reputation as a therapeutic food.
Maca does not contain caffeine, but rather contains phytosterol compounds that support the HPA (hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal) axis. Maca may help women control hot flashes and night sweats that accompany menopause. Men can also enjoy maca to boost energy production and support their adrenal and reproductive systems that tend to decline over time. Use maca to tolerance, starting with 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon per day.
Recipe Inspiration: Ed Bauman from the Book Flavors of Health
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