Generally speaking, it’s best to stick to meals instead of snacks. Most nutritionists believe that the best wait to attain and maintain a healthy body weight is to eat three healthy meals a day. However, when you are out and about, sometimes, you need extra fuel. And, under those circumstances, your not going to get a meal.
When we snack, we like to go for healthy things like veggies and string cheese. But when you are doing exercise outdoors, sometimes a heartier snack with protein is a better fit. It can give you a lot of energy to keep you going. Protein bars can be great when you are hiking or biking. They are also very lightweight to carry and are portable. But, there are two problems: the ones you can buy often have a ton of sugar and, even with all the sugar, they aren’t always as tasty as you expect. They seem healthy, but they can be candy bars in disguise! And, not even yummy candy bars. Plus, they’re made with many additives. We prefer real ingredients, like the peanut butter above. If you reach for a protein bar, you deserve something low-carb and delicious. That’s why we are sharing four great protein bar recipes that are scrumptious and low in carbs!
There is a lot to love about these protein bars. They take just 10 minutes to prepare, and then you simply have to chill them! Also, they are nut-free! That’s a rare find for most high-protein make-at-home bar recipes! They use sunflower seed butter. But, if you want to use a nut butter, you could. This is a chocolate bar-like protein bar, so you can have it as a treat or as an energy boost — either way, you’ll be happy! One bar has 161 calories, six grams of protein, five grams of carbs and two grams of fiber. Get the recipe.
This bar has that classic fudgy, chewy, perfect texture you would expect from a protein bar but without all the sugar. On top of that, it has just five ingredients! And, they stay firm at room temperature, which is really great if you plan on throwing one in your bag before leaving the house. To get them firm, they do require baking but, that seems like a small price to pay for a delicious portable snack. A serving has 211 calories, 11.3 grams of protein, 5.9 grams of carbs and 3.9 grams of fiber. Get the recipe.
These protein bars are different than most as they include fresh fruit and eggs, but they are delicious. We suggest keeping them cool with an icepack when you take them on a hike. Some folks with blood sugar concerns get antsy about apples. But the combination of fiber and the fact that there is only one apple per five servings means you really shouldn’t be concerned! These are more like cheesecake than a traditional protein bar, but they pack a lot of protein into a small, portable snack, and we think they are great! A bar has 87 calories, 10 grams of protein, six grams of carbs and one gram of fiber. Get the recipe.
If you prefer your protein bar to be more like a granola bar, this is for you. This is crunchy, sweet and salty, which is perfect when you are sweating in the great outdoors! It’s like a granola bar but without the oats and other high-carb ingredients that can upset your blood sugar. These bars need to be kept cool, but they are worth carrying an icepack for as they are so delicious. Made with peanut butter, peanuts, cashews and almonds, any nut lover will be in heaven! A bar has 195 calories, 6.4 grams of protein, 8.8 grams of carbs and two grams of fiber. Get the recipe.
We had a hard time narrowing it down; there are so many delicious recipes out there on the web, we highly suggest taking a look. We tried to pick ones you might already have the ingredients for, or at least wouldn’t have to buy too much to make! We hope one of these ends up in your bag the next time you go out for a hike, bike or run!
