::*::protein protein protein::*::

Do you believe when they say that your taste-buds change every seven years? 

I could never fully grasp the concept of that until quite recently. 

I'll fill you in on a little secret that many people in the past would despise me for. 

I. 

HATED.

SWEETS.

Like, legit...didn't like em AT ALL. The pantry could be filled with chocolates, the freezer overwhelmed with ice cream and cheese cakes, there could be cake on the counter and cookies on the table and all that I thought of was..."meh". 

If I had to choose between a bowl of mashed potatoes and a chocolate bar - pass me the fork and add a little gravy, baby!

But...the last few months, something infinitesimal has shifted.

I could quite literally describe it as waking up one morning and thinking to myself, "Dear God...I really could eat a pie for breakfast!!"...and the rest...is history.

I. 

AM.

OBSESSED.

WITH.

SWEETS.

Unfortunately, whilst in the midst of training, I am unable to gorge myself on these little {or colossal} sugary delights. 

Insert big sad face here. 

Therefore, I am on a mission...when am I ever NOT on a mission? 

I am going to find the most delicious protein bars that are sooooo good that it feels bad to be eating them! 

I'm never one to completely deprive myself by the way {my Turtle gorging the other day can attest to that} but treating yourself IS important. It's all about balance!! 

Here's a recipe for you guys to try that is absolutely DELICIOUS and can also be found on the Oh She Glows site! 

Let me know what you think and if you've tried these, or want to try them...you honestly can't beat peanut butter and chocolate though. Although next time I think I am going to eat some walnuts or pecans for an extra added omega-3-laden crunch!

PS. Did I mention you don't have to bake these? 

You're welcome. ;) 

Quick'n Easy No Bake Protein Bars

These no-bake bars are thrown together in minutes and make the perfect snack to store in the freezer for a quick burst of energy. Feel free to use sunflower seed butter to make these nut-free. I used an unsweetened/unflavoured protein powder, so if you are using a sweetened protein powder, you will likely have to reduce the liquid sweetener (and make up for the lack of liquid by adding some non-dairy milk). Play around with it if necessary and aim for a cookie dough texture. You can also roll the dough into balls and add in chocolate chips if you don't wish to make them into bar form.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups gluten-free rolled oats, blended into a flour

1/2 cup unsweetened/unflavoured vegan protein powder (I use Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Natural)

1/2 cup rice crisp cereal

1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste

1/2 cup natural peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Line an 8-inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper. Mix the oat flour, protein powder, rice crisp, and salt together in a large bowl.

Add in the nut/seed butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir well to combine. If the mixture is a bit dry, add a splash of non-dairy milk and mix again.

Press into pan and roll out with a pastry roller until smooth. Pop into the freezer.

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a small pot over low heat. When half of the chips have melted, remove from heat and stir until smooth.

After freezing the bars for about 5-10 minutes, remove from freezer and slice into bars. Drizzle with melted chocolate and freeze again until set. Store in the freezer for a week or longer in an air-tight freezer bag or container.

-S.*

{Oh She Glows Link is Above!}