Do-it-Yourself Paleo Protein Bars

The paleo way of life is growing in communities worldwide, and so is the demand for paleo-friendly protein bars. The issue is that they can get expensive, and they might not have the flavor choices you want.

If you know what I’m talking about, and you like spending time in the kitchen – why not make your own paleo protein bars? They may take some time to bake, and they do not come in hassle-free single-serving containers, but with some practice and some ziploc bags, you can produce your own healthy protein bars that you can carry with you in the car, to the gym or while taking a trip.

If you have actually ever read the labels for paleo bars, you most likely have noticed a few similarities. There are generally fewer than 10 ingredients, and many contain nuts, coconut, protein powder and occasionally dried fruit.

These are all items that you can buy at your local grocery store, combine in a food processor, lay out in a baking dish and cook for approximately 10-20 minutes. When they are done, you just take the baking dish out to cool, cut your bars into single-size servings and store in air-tight containers that are ready to enjoy when you are.

The first couple of recipes that you make might be trial and error as far as finding the taste and consistency you enjoy most. There are a number of free recipes online that you can find by conducting a fast search in a search engine.

Once you discover a recipe that you like, you can get nuts, seeds and protein powder in bulk and cut your costs. In addition to having nutritious meals – you will be saving money too!

Nuts, naturally, have protein, but some people include egg or protein powder to boost the quantity. Keep in mind that if you utilize eggs, you will need to refrigerate your bars when done.

Nuts, unsweetened coconut and dried berries will not stick together by themselves. You want to include ingredients such as nut butter, coconut oil with flaxseed meal or honey to keep all of the components together.

Spices such as nutmeg or cinnamon can spice up your treats, in addition to a touch of salt. Get innovative with the paleo products you include in your own recipes, as this can improve the flavor, enhance your meal options and make it easier to lose weight and enjoy the paleo lifestyle.

Soy-Less Protein Bars

When individuals want to get in shape or reduce weight, they typically focus on working out more frequently and eating better. However, our busy lifestyle often makes it difficult to stick to healthy foods all the time, since meals require effort to prepare.

I know from personal experience that right after a long run or a tiring dance class, the last thing I want to do is cook a meal. I am normally too worn out and just am looking for something quick and simple to eat.

That is where protein bars are convenient. They typically contain a variety of different nutrients, and they are small and easy to carry with you so we can easily eat them while out running errands. They are specifically good to have after an exercise routine when we are not in the house to prepare a healthy meal.

That said, there is a downside to protein bars.

Some products contain just as many unhealthy components as healthy ones. We might not be eating anything beneficial, and in many cases, we might be no even worse off consuming a candy bar.

Soy Protein Isolate

One usual ingredient included in numerous protein bars is soy protein isolate. Some products even have this detailed as the first ingredient. Soy itself is not necessarily bad, however most of the soybeans developed in the US have actually been genetically modified and can disrupt our bodily hormones.

In addition, soy protein concentrate is processed, which makes it a totally different food than the fresh raw soybean alone. Generally, it’s a much better strategy to eat unrefined foods in their taw or natural form as opposed to the processed alternative. Generally, processed foods include less nutrients anyhow.

Occasionally eating a protein bar with this processed protein source might not have a considerable impact. Nonetheless, in my opinion, I would not want to eat one every day after exercising – especially if I have alternative and better choices.

For that reason, with a multitude of so-called “healthy” bars on store shelves with soy protein, where does one shop for another option? It is taxing to review every product label, and numerous grocery stores do not carry a big variety.

Here’s Something Good

The good news is that there are a growing number of soy-free bars available today, due in part to the paleo lifestyle concept. Some paleo-friendly bars may not contain as much protein as standard bars, but in many cases they have plenty.

For more information on paleo protein bars that do not include soy, click here.