I often make my own protein bars so that I know exactly what goes into them. It’s also less expensive this way! You can tailor it to nearly any protein/fat/carbohydrate combination you want, depending on your goals and how your body responds.

Mix up the following and cook for 10-20 minutes at 350 degrees. The pre-cooked bars should be thick and tough to mix. If it’s too wet, the final bars will be quiche-like, and if it’s too dry or you overcook, it can get hard or dry. Tailor al gusto!

The foundation:

• 3/4 cup nuts, blended
• 3/4 cups oatmeal, dry, blended
• 2-4 eggs or egg substitute
• vanilla protein powder

Now, for kicks, here are some ways to spice it up. Pick and choose, though I don’t recommend using all of these in the same batch:

• raisins, dried cranberries, or goji berries
• 3 tbs of peanut butter
• lots more peanut butter
• spirolina, just for some fun color
• chocolate chips
• meal replacement shake powder, for more calories

If you use this recipe for protein bars or meal replacement bars, let me know how it worked out.