Homemade Energy Bars

Let's face it, energy bars are expensive! Keep your budget low with these homemade energy bars. Add your own goodies to customize it to your taste!

Peanutty Energy Bars

Hand on: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Makes 16 squares

One-half cup salted dry-roasted peanuts
One-half cup roasted sunflower seeds
One-half cup raisins
2 cups uncooked old fashioned oatmeal
2 cups toasted rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies
One-half cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
One-half cup packed brown sugar
One-half cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, mix together the peanuts, sunflower sees, raisins, oatmeal, and toasted rice cereal. Set aside.
In a medium microwaveable bowl, combine the peanut butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add vanilla and stir until blended.
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until coated.
Spoon the mixture into an 8-inch by 8-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Press down firmly. (It helps to coat your fingers with margarine, oil, or cooking spray.
Let stand for about an hour, then cut into squares. Refrigerate bars, loosely covered with plastic wrap.

From “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook” 3rd edition by Nancy Clark (Human Kinetics $18.95)

Per serving: 205 calories (percent calories from fat, 37), 6 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat), 0 milligrams cholesterol, 152 milligrams of sodium.

Nutritional Bonus Points: The nuts and sunflower seeds boost the Vitamin E content, a potent antioxidant, to 15% of daily needs.

Black Bean Snack Bites

Black bean nachos are served regularly round my house. Well, the other day, I didn’t have my normal flat, restaurant style chips and I had to use scoops. The kids loved the variety (they thought I’d made something new).

I kept them simple, but topped mine with chopped chicken, sliced onion and a dot of habanero sauce.

HERE’S ALL IT TAKES

Tostito Scoops (or other corn chips)
1 (15oz) can of black beans, drained
cheddar and jack cheese, shredded
thinly sliced onion (optional)
chopped cooked chicken (optional, can be bought pre-made)
habanero sauce (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.


Fill each scoop chip with any combination of the ingredients above.
Bake for 7 minutes. Serve hot!

Source: SimpleDailyRecipes.com

Chocolate Dipped Bananas

What a delicious treat! Bananas are full of potassium, soluble fiber and carbohydrate, and the chocolate and nuts add both fat and calories. Yum!

These are absolutely delicious when eaten soon after dipping. I don’t recommend storing them in the fridge - they turn mushy and watery. I guess you can refreeze them. I don’t know. We ate all of ours, so I can’t tell ya.

I can tell you what I did.

HERE’S ALL IT TAKES

ripe bananas
semi-sweet chocolate chips
almond bark
chopped unsalted peanuts
popsicle sticks or lollipop sticks
I cut the bananas in half for smaller portions and for easier dipping in a shallow bowl of melted chocolate.

Skewer the bananas with the sticks, THEN PEEL THEM! Place them on a sheet or tray lined with wax paper, then put them in the freezer for oh, let’s say 15 to 30 minutes. (I actually forgot about them for 2 days.)

Anyhoo. Put the chopped peanuts in a plate so it’s easy to roll the banana across the nuts. Melt the almond bark with a handful of chocolate chips, either with the double boiler method or in the microwave. As soon as the chocolate has melted, take out the bananas are start dipping and QUICKLY move to the chopped nuts. Those frozen bananas work fast to harden up the chocolate. There’s no time to dilly dally.

Return the coated treats to the waxed paper until you’re finished.

Yell out, “Come and GET IT!” and they’re gone. They will vanish before your eyes.

Source: SimpleDailyRecipes.com

Healthy Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

These Cranberry Pumpkin muffins are moist and delicious. There’s no worries or guilt here, because these are healthy enough for breakfast. Add a hard-boiled egg or two and a portable milk carton, and you've got a full, portable breakfast!




HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED

dry ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup old fashion oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sweetened dried, cranberries
1/4 cup golden raisins
wet ingredients

1 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup healthy egg substitute or 2 eggs
1/2 cup all natural applesauce or canola oil
1/4 cup orange juice or water
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour 12 count muffin pan.

FIRST! Baking tip for the dried cranberries & raisins.
Place the cranberries and raisins in a microwave safe bowl and cover with warm water. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. This is a speedy way to rehydrate the dried fruit. Drain off the water from the dried fruit. The rehydrated fruit won’t burn when it’s exposed at the top of the baked item.

Now back to mixing it up. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, including the pecans, rehydated cranberries and raisins. Mix well.

In a small bowl, stir together all the wet ingredients.

Always adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, use a rubber spatula and fold the wet into the dry ingredients. Do not over mix here. Go slowly allowing the flour a chance to absorb the moisture. Make sure all the flour is moisten.

Use either a 2 inch scooper or a large spoon to fill the muffin pan. I filled each muffin cup to the top. These are dense muffins so you can sorta heap the batter.

BAKE for 18-20 minutes.

Store the muffins just like you would Banana Bread, on a plate wrapped with cellophane, or in a resealable storage bag. They will keep well out on the counter in cool temperatures for at least three days.

Source: SimpleDailyRecipes.com

Snack Attack

Snack Attack!

Eating frequently throughout the day is the best way to rev up your metabolism, as well as stay fueled for competition. Snacking between meals can increase your energy levels and improve performance. Add these snacks to your shopping list and take them with you in you bag or keep non-perishables in your locker.

• Sandwich: lean turkey, ham, roast beef, or chicken breast on 2 slices of whole grain bread. Light on mayo and mustard.

• Peanut butter and jelly (use all fruit jelly) on whole wheat bread

• Energy Bars: Clif Bar, Builder Bar, Balance, or Zone Bar

• Whole wheat crackers (i.e. Multi-grain wheat thins, Kashi Crackers)
Top with cheese or peanut butter for added protein

• Beef jerky– dried, in bags – one small bag at a time

• Nuts– ~15 cashews, almonds, peanuts, pistachios yields ~100 calories

• Small cup of cottage cheese– can add fresh fruit and/or sunflower seeds

• Fresh fruit, with a source of protein and/or fat- nuts, cheese, peanut butter

• Baked chips with salsa– top with a little 2% shredded cheddar for more protein

• Tortilla Roll-Up- on whole wheat tortilla with turkey, ham, roast beef, chicken

• Quesadilla- with 2% cheese and veggies w salsa
• Granola Bar- add to it a handful of almonds

• Odwalla Shake- With protein

• Whole Wheat Fig Newtons

• Frozen Bananas dipped in yogurt

• Fun treats– Small bag peanut M&M’s, or 2 Fun Size candy bars

• “No Sugar Added” Applesauce (ex. Mott’s or TreeTop) with 1 tablespoon of Peanut Butter or 1oz of low fat cheese

• Yogurt (ex. Cascade Fresh or Yoplait) with Granola in it

• High Performance Smoothie: 8-12 ounces of Skim or 1% Milk or Yogurt 2 T of peanut butter or scoop protein powder, Fresh or Frozen Fruit (Banana or strawberries) Blend with Ice and serve.

• Boost, Ensure, Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink

• Hummus and veggies

• Skim latte and almond biscotti cookie