This past year, your house has likely become more than just a family gathering spot. With many of us working at home, exercising at home and even schooling at home, the home has become a rather busy location. With your daily schedule filling up quicker than ever before, ensuring that your family is sticking to a healthy diet might not fit on a to-do list, which is why we're here to help. At Bob's Red Mill, we believe that healthy eating can be both delicious and convenient with a little planning; especially when it comes to snacks.
Snacking is a crucial part of the day for both children and adults. A healthy snack can provide you with the energy needed to power through your next task and keep you full until lunch. Keeping healthy snacks on hand is also a great way to curb your sweet cravings and keep from reaching for the closest candy bar. One of our favorite snacks to enjoy throughout the week is snack bars! Not only are snack bars convenient, but they're also relatively easy to make at home. Whipping up a large batch of your favorite snack bars at the beginning of the week will ensure that you have something wholesome to munch on when the craving hits.
Now, if you are new to making healthy snack bars, then making them from scratch may seem like a daunting task. You're probably wondering; what ingredients should I use? How do you cook a snack bar? And, are snack bars really that great for you? Keep scrolling as we answer all of these questions and more. In this guide, we'll explain how you can make a great-for-you snack bar that the entire family will enjoy.
Is a Snack Bar Healthy?
Store-bought protein bars can vary enormously in nutrition. While some protein bars like Bob's Bars are made with natural, wholesome ingredients, other bars are often loaded with sugar and additives. When purchasing a snack bar, you must read the label beforehand and choose a brand you trust to ensure that you're fueling your body with adequate nutrition and not opting for a candy bar in disguise.
This being said, making snack bars at home is a great way to keep tabs on the ingredients used in your food. By following healthy recipes and choosing natural ingredients like oats and quinoa as the base of your snack bar, you can fuel your body with an adequate amount of protein, good fats and carbohydrates in between meals.
Curious to know which ingredients you should use when learning how to make snack bars? We've listed our favorites below!
Best Ingredients to Use When Making Protein Bars
When learning how to make healthy snack bars, it's essential to choose recipes that use natural, whole-food ingredients. The great thing about making protein bars yourself is that you get to choose what goes into it. Gather up a few recipes that sound good to you, and then compare the ingredients in them. Recipes that use whole grains, nuts, seeds and natural sweeteners are crucial to making healthy snack bars.
Before we share some of our favorite protein bar recipes with you, let's first discuss some of the healthiest ingredients to use!
Oats
Here at Bob's Red Mill, we love oats! Oats are an excellent part of a healthy diet, especially for those who may have heart concerns or lack nutrition. Oats are jam-packed with nutrients like fiber, protein, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium. Plus, because regular rolled oats don't contain any added sugar and easily bind with other ingredients, they're an excellent base for a protein bar. Aside from being great for you, oats taste excellent when combined with a variety of foods. This means that you're not limited when it comes to choosing tasty flavors for your homemade snack bars.
Amaranth
While there are many grains (and seeds) to choose from when selecting your snack bar base, amaranth tops the list of our favorite protein bar ingredients. A lesser-known grain, organic amaranth grain is similar to quinoa in that it's not actually a grain at all; it's a seed. This being so, many recipes list amaranth as a grain because it cooks and tastes similarly. Aside from being easy to cook, amaranth is excellent for you. Chock-full of protein, it contains about 6 grams per cup serving. That's slightly more than quinoa and double the amount you'd get from brown rice, whole wheat and oats. Amaranth is also a rich source of magnesium and zinc, two essential nutrients for your health. Its nutty flavor and crunchy texture make it the ideal ingredient to add to your snack bar recipe. Use amaranth as the base for your next protein bar, or cook it and sprinkle it atop of your treat. No matter how you use this tasty seed, it's sure to give your snack a boost!
Protein Powder
Think protein powder is just for shakes? Think again! Protein powder is a great way to boost nutritional value and add flavor to your homemade snack bars. Made with good-for-you ingredients, Bob's Red Mill Protein Powders help you create a bar overflowing with nutrients without all the added ingredients. This means less sugar, calories and additives. Sneaking your favorite protein powder into a healthy bar recipe is easy. Combine it with other wet ingredients like peanut butter, veggie puree, coconut oil, honey and voila! You've scored a boost of nutrients in seconds.
Nuts & Seeds
No healthy snack bar would be complete without the addition of nuts and seeds. When it comes to adding in your favorites, there are many ways to do so. Crunch them up to add them in smaller pieces, add them in whole for a tasty crunch, or grind them into a powder to change up the consistency of your protein bar. Nuts and seeds provide a fantastic flavor boost while also contributing great sources of healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Not sure which nuts and seeds work best? Here's a list of our favorites.
Nuts
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Walnuts
Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Chia Seeds
Finding the Right Recipe
Once you've determined which ingredients to use, it's time to find the perfect recipe. Depending on your family's taste buds, you'll want to choose a protein bar recipe that agrees with everyone. While some individuals may enjoy a sweet-flavored snack bar, others will prefer a salty and savory crunch. Take note of the ingredients used in each recipe. Once you have a list of quality recipes, choose the one that sounds the best to you.
We've rounded up our top-rated healthy snack bar recipes to help you get started:
Protein-Packed No-Bake Granola Bars
The ideal on-the-go treat, these Protein-Packed No-Bake Granola Bars are a pantry staple! An easy recipe to make from scratch, they're loaded with nutritious ingredients like goji berries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. These bars' sweet tartness is tied together with a subtle mocha flavor sure to brighten up your morning. Light, guilt-free and gluten free, these snack bars will help satisfy both your sweet and salty cravings to keep you content between meals. What's even better is that no baking is required!
Note:Eating raw oats is generally safe, but may cause digestive issues or increase the risk of foodborne illness.
Whole Grain Power Bars
It's no secret that the Bob's Red Mill team is a fan of whole grains. In fact, Bob himself starts his day with a bowl of whole grain oats each morning. Whole grains are great for you, and while a bowl of oats may not be possible to enjoy on-the-go, these Whole Grain Power Bars sure are! Made with Organic Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats and flavored with dried cranberries, shredded coconut and vanilla extract, they're as sweet as they are filling. Ideal for in-between meals, they'll help you stay full and energized throughout the day.
Chocolate Amaranth Protein Bars
We've covered how great amaranth is for you; now, lets talk about how great it tastes. This Chocolate Amaranth Protein Bar recipe takes snack time to the next level. Overflowing with flavor, texture and nutritional benefits, these bars are sure to keep your tastebuds happy and you fueled during your daily tasks.
For a sure-fire way to please the family, make your next healthy snack bars with the natural ingredients from this list and follow one of our many bar recipes. Homemade bars are an excellent way to keep you and your family's health goals on track. Loaded with nutritious ingredients and delicious flavors, there's sure to be a recipe out there that will satisfy each one of your family members' cravings.
Don't have the time to start making snack bars this week? Don't fret. Our Bob's Bars are a great way to introduce healthy snacking into your weekly menu. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, have a healthy and snack-filled!
Have a favorite snack bar recipe that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear it! Let us know what your favorite protein bar recipe is in the comments below.
