Tuesday 22 April 2014

Homemade Energy Bars

Good Morning Everyone! I apologize for not posting for a while, but as promised here is the recipe for the energy bars I made and trialed last week.
It can be difficult to go for long distance runs at anytime, and then we have to find food that our body's are able to process along the way. For the past couple of years I have been using Honey Stinger Energy Chews, but over the past 8 months something was not agreeing with my body when running over 20K. I thought it might be the energy chews, so on Thursday I thought I would make my own energy bars to eat. They were fantastic!
I ran 21miles eating chocolate energy bars (that I made the night before), along with some Hammer Endurolyte pills and I felt amazing! My legs were starting to get tired by the end, yes. But I felt great otherwise!
The recipe I found is simple and basic, and you can substitute something of your choice for any of the ingredients. Following is the basic recipe, with some example ingredients, and then the 2 recipes that I have tried so far.

BASE RECIPE 

1lb can of beans (Adzuki, chick peas, white beans, black beans, pinto beans, your choice)
1/2 cup binder (Almond butter, Peanut butter, pureed pumpkin, mashed avocado, your choice)
1/4 cup sweetener (Maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, your choice)
1/4 cup soft fruit of choice (apple sauce, mashed bananas, chopped dates (pits removed), crushed pineapple, your choice)
1 tsp extract (vanilla, almond, coconut, lemon, coffee, your choice)
1 tsp dry spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, instant coffee, your choice)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup dry base ingredients (protein powder, rice four, spelt flour, buckwheat flour, cocoa, whole-wheat flour, your choice)
1 cup add ins (shredded coconut, dried cranberries, raisins, dry cereal, crushed pretzels, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, your choice)

In a food processor combine beans, binder, sweetener, soft fruit, extract, spice and salt and process until smooth. Add the oats and dry base and pulse to combine. Add stir-ins and pulse again to combine. If it seems too thick or if it is difficult to blend add water (I did from the start). If it seems too runny then add some dry base.

Grease 13x 9 pan with spray or oil (I used coconut oil) and spread mixture in pan. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

Chocolate Black Bean Energy Bars
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup cocoa + 1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut + 1/2 cup dried cranberries


Maple Pumpkin Energy Bars
1 can chick peas (though I will use different ones next time)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup maple syrup (use more if you like the bars a little sweeter)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup buckwheat flour (though next time I will try spelt or rice)
1 cup crushed pretzels (crushed bran flakes would also be good)

I would like to thank the No Meat Athlete for the recipe and also for saving my running life :)
www.nomeatathlete.com

Please share any recipes that you come up with on your own! I would love to hear about them and try them :)