Protein bars often hold the promise of being the perfect healthy snack that can provide energy as well as muscle-building protein, but if you take a close look at the ingredients you’ll usually find it chock full of sugar in addition to hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and a whole list of fillers and other nutritionally-void ingredients.
Many protein bars contain soy protein isolate which was originally considered to be a waste product in soy processing until it was discovered that money could be made by passing it off as a protein source.
Studies have indicated that they can actually be toxic to the body due to the way soy is processed, not to mention that the majority of soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified.
Just a few of the other potentially harmful ingredients can include high fructose corn syrup, fractionated palm kernel oil, sugar alcohols and/or artificial sweeteners.
These bars are marketed as being healthy but in reality they’re just glorified candy bars. They may be convenient and easy to carry, but they are anything but healthy. Instead of sacrificing your well-being, why not just make your own? They’ll taste much better, be far healthier and also help you to save money in the long run.
Follow these simple steps to make a great protein bar:
- Protein powder and flour. Select a protein powder and and a high protein flour, such as coconut or almond flour (make sure they are gluten-free)..
- Bind protein powder and flour with coconut or almond milk. Add enough liquid so that the mixture comes together like dough. You can add some almond butter if you’d like, but the ultimate goal is to end up with a dough that can be formed into bars using your hands.
- Shape the batter. Next, shape the batter into bars. If your batter is too sticky or moist you can add a little coconut powder to get the right consistency. If the batter is too dry, you can add a little coconut milk.
- Melt dark chocolate. Melt dark chocolate (preferably with a content of at least 70% cacao) in a glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. When it has melted, dunk the bars in the chocolate.
- Freeze. Place the bars into the freezer for at least half an hour.
That’s all there is to it! Once you get the hang of it you can experiment a bit with ingredients such as adding nuts, spices, or seeds to your batter before it’s shaped into bars. You may never want to go back to store bought again.
-The Alternative Daily