Loaded Protein Bars - Meal Replacement
Here are the ingredients and simple cooking directions to my loaded protein bars. A quick and easy way to insure that you get your meal in your system on time. Great to carry while traveling or even during a busy working schedule. There more healthy than any protein bar you can purchase at your local supplement store.
Ingredients
*3 cups organic raw oats
*1/2 cup ground flax seeds
*1/2 cup unsweetened organic shredded coconut
*1 tablespoon cinnamon
*1 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
*(natural sweetener, your preverence)
*2 cups organic non-fat Oikos Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
*1/2 cup organic peanut butter or almond butter
*1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
*1/4 cup organic coconut oil, melted
*1 cup organic chopped seeds or nuts or a combination ex. sunflower, pumpkin, or sesame seeds or almonds, walnuts or pecans, hazelnuts
*1 cup chopped dates, raisins, figs or other dried fruit--optional (if you want the bars sweeter but you don't want to add more sweetener)
*up to 1 cup vanilla or chocolate whey protein powder--optional (go with 1 cup if you want the bars to have significant protein content;
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175 C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with a little coconut oil.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients
4. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined
5. Taste a little of the homemade protein bar mixture. Is it tasty? You can add more peanut butter or the optional nuts at this point if you like. Is it sweet enough? If not, you can add some additional sweetener or some of the optional dried fruit. Mix well using very clean hands (warning--it will be sticky!)
6. Spread the mixture into your prepared dish and bake for 15min (check inbetween, every oven is different). Take the pan out of the oven, let them cool a little, and then slice the bars as you desire. Your homemade protein bars can be sliced into squares, or into the more typical bar shape you would purchase, if you prefer. Spread the bars out onto a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes more. Allow to cool, and then wrap and store in the refrigerator.
Let me know how you liked it?
Mine turned out amazing.
I can eat these bars all day. 
