Including energy bars as part of your meal plan can be a great way to control calories and tide you over in between meals. But if you’ve ever taken a stroll down the energy/protein bar aisle at the store, you may have found the experience a little overwhelming. There are energy bars boasting “high fiber” or “low calorie,” and can be made with anything from chocolate to nuts to dried fruit and meat (I’ve tried the latter and it was…interesting). Energy bars aren’t a bad choice, but the ingredients list can be lengthy and shopping for them can get pricey. Making your own energy bars or bites can be a fun way to experiment with new ingredients and flavors and find your new go-to snack. If you’re ready to try something new, check out the below recipe for date-cashew bites. Not big on dates or cashews? Try mixing other nuts, seeds and dried fruits.
Ingredients:
About 20 dried dates
About 1 ¾ cup raw, whole, unsalted cashews
Instructions:
Remove pits from dates and place all ingredients in a food processor, preparing in batches if necessary. Blend until ingredients are coarsely ground. Roll mixture into golf ball-size bites and place on parchment paper.
Servings: About 12 golf ball-size bites (1 bite)
Per serving: 131 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 16 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 3 g protein
Exchanges: 1 fruit, ½ protein, 1 fat
