Clean-Eating Protein Bars

Hello my lovely readers!

I am so happy today! It's such a beautiful day outside with the sun shining and the temperatures at a mild 28 degrees! Okay so it's still way too cold here but I love the warmth the sun brings both to my skin and to my heart. It gets me in a good mood. Which is great! I also got up early and finished my work out before 8 am which NEVER happens. So I guess things have been going my way today. 

I've been thinking a lot about one of my goals; not only for this year but a goal I want to accomplish throughout my life. This goal is to inspire someone. Not even a lot of people. If I could inspire just one person to change their life and be healthy then I would die a happy woman. I've been doing Turbo Fire for my work outs and Chalene Johnson is one of the most inspirational people I've ever seen! (I obviously haven't met her). I follow her on Facebook and also on twitter and every day she has a new message to keep you going and to give you confidence in yourself. She's one of the people who I look up to and hope that I can be even one ounce like her one day. If you have no idea who I'm even talking about then you're missing out! She has quite a few workout DVDs out there that are all wonderful I'm sure. If you're interested in that visit beachbody.com. 

Now are you ready for an awesome recipe?

Check out these beautiful protein bars!

I got this recipe from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno, who is also an amazing role model. I just got The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook 2 on Saturday and I'm so excited to try some new and yummy recipes from her. These protein bars are great for before or after a work out. I really need to make a new batch for myself! They're not too hard to make and they're really quick to grab and get to your work out. I really like to eat them before because they're just enough to give me energy. You should always have something in your stomach before you workout or else you could be burning muscle instead of fat! Especially if you are working out in the morning. I found out too that if I don't eat I have NO energy to carry me through the whole workout. Which is BAD! Why even do it if you can't give 100%? 

I hope you guys enjoy these! Let me know if you added anything different and what worked or what didn't. I'd love to hear from you!

Clean-Eating Protein Bars
Adapted from The Eat-Clean Diet Book by Tosca Reno

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup whole wheat flour or flour of your choice (oat, amaranth, millet, spelt, kamut)
2 cups old-fashion oats
1/2 cup wheat or oat bran
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup Sucanat or agave nectar or honey
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. best-quality vanilla extract
Olive oil cooking spray

Tools:
9 x 13-inch glass or silicone baking pan
1 medium bowl
1 large bowl
Spoon
Measuring cups
Parchment paper or silicone mat
Wire cooking rack

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine protein powder, flour, oats, oat or wheat bran, ground flax seed, wheat germ, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Sucanat or other sweetener. Stir in dark chocolate chips.
3. In another bowl mix the Greek yogurt, oils and vanilla. Mix well. Add the yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients. Use your clean, bare hands or a spoon to combine these well. If using your hands, coat with olive oil to prevent sticking.
4. Place mixture in prepared pan. Press it down and even out the top. Bake on middle rack in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool and cut the dough into bars. Place these bars on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper and bake again for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer mat or parchment paper to a wire cooking rack and let cool. Place in airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. This recipe makes anywhere from 20 to 24 bars, depending on how big you cut them.