Remaking A Hiking Favorite: Protein Bars

Whether you are outside exercising, playing a sport, or just in the mood to have a yummy snack, protein bars are and have been a trendy go-to snack. There are about a million different brands, flavors, textures, and recipes to these fabulous treats, but they all have something in common; their benefits. Protein bars provide a long list of incredible benefits that help our bodies stay in shape. One of the most significant benefits they provide is the consumption of protein into our body. Protein helps your body recover from a workout or other vigorous exercise like hiking. Without protein, your muscles would not recover very quickly, and you could be sore for extended periods. Another benefit of protein bars is that they provide a quick but healthy way to keep you full during your hike. If you do not have the proper nutrients in your body, it is perilous to do activities and risk a health issue. By eating protein bars, you reduce your appetite and have greater satiety. The third most important benefit to having protein bars is how little space they take up. When you are backpacking on a hike, you must make the most out of the little space you have in your bag. They are small bars, but they certainly pack a punch. Just one protein bar can keep you going for hours. Ashley Gallelli was asked how she feels when she has a protein bar during her day versus when she doesn’t, and she said, “I love how I feel when I have a good protein bar because I feel more energized and ready for my day. If I do not eat anything, I become very slow and less motivated.”

A massive misconception of protein bars is that you can choose any one and they all do the same thing to your body. Different protein bars have additional ingredients that will help you in various ways. Some protein bars are meant more to taste good instead of the quality of what is going into your body. It is crucial to check the source of your proteins. Having whey protein is the absolute best, but pea proteins are a better option if you prefer vegan protein bars. It is also essential to not have too many carbs because that can hinder your performance on a hike, so finding that perfect protein bar balance is critical. The best things to look for in a protein bar are the amount of fiber per serving it has, the sugar level present, and the number of trans and saturated fats. This is good to know because fiber helps to keep you fuller for longer and decreases your appetite. A good amount of fiber per serving is around three grams. Having too much sugar in a protein bar can increase your blood sugar levels too much, which is never a good thing, and it is always essential to stay away from high fructose or sucrose types of sugars. 

An enjoyable activity you can do at home is to make your own protein bars. Things can get pretty pricey when you buy protein bars frequently, and by making them on your own, you can save yourself a lot of money. Becca Gredone was asked if she has ever tried to make her own protein bars from scratch, and she replied by saying, “I tried once to make a peanut butter protein bar from home, but it didn’t turn out that great. I would definitely try again because protein bars can be expensive if you buy them pretty frequently.” She also explained that if someone wants to start getting into hiking, “I would say this [a protein bar] is the best snack for a hike, because it’s easy to pack, fast to eat, and can last a longer time in terms of keeping your body physically prepared. Also, there are so many fun flavors to try out!”

We decided to look online and try to find a popular protein bar recipe that did not have anything harmful to us and enjoy together on a hike. The recipe we found was replicated from the popular Kind Bars. For this recipe, we needed to get a large variety of different ingredients. Those ingredients included; one teaspoon of coconut oil, melted and cooled, a half cup of unsalted roasted almonds, a half cup of unsalted dry roasted peanuts, a half cup of roasted walnuts, one-third cup of puffed rice, about one tablespoon of flaxseed meal, one-fourth cup of brown rice syrup, two tablespoons of honey, a half teaspoon of vanilla, a half teaspoon of sea salt, and a half cup of dark chocolate chips. 

Making these delicious bars required a pretty specific set of instructions. First, you have to line an 8-inch pan with aluminum foil but leave a few inches of overhang on each side. Next, drizzle melted coconut oil in a large bowl and cover every inch of the bowl. You want it to be greasy at this point. After that, you mix all of the nuts, puffed rice, and flaxseed meal in the bowl. You then want to set this bowl aside. Next, in a small saucepan, combine the brown rice syrup, honey, vanilla, and sea salt and bring this to a boil. Once at a boil, you whisk around for three to four minutes until the mixture has become thick and is nice and sticky. Following that, you then pour your syrup mixture over the nut mixture and stir it together to combine it all. Once you have done this, you pour everything into the lined pan that you prepared in the beginning. Make sure that it is all evenly spread out and that there are no gaps anywhere. Allow this to cool for 30 minutes. The last few steps are the satisfying ones. Next, you take the edges of the overhanging foil and remove the block of nuts from the pan, and place it on a cutting board. You should then cut into about ten evenly sized bars and allow these to completely cool before adding the chocolate finish. Make the chocolate drizzle, place your chocolate chips in the microwave in a bowl and do it for 30-second intervals until melted. Finally, spoon the chocolate drizzle over the bars and allow the chocolate to set and cool to room temperature. And there you have it, you have made the most delicious protein bars you could ever think of!

We went to Lenape Park for our hike, and we only brought our backpacks with our supplies and, most importantly, our protein bars. They were incredible and were such a fantastic treat to have. Our hike lasted over an hour, and we went around two miles. We could feel a difference in our energy levels once we ate these. To anyone reading this, we would highly recommend trying to make these and going on an adventure wherever you are. This was such a great learning experience, and we had such a fun time making our own protein bars! It is important to enjoy nature, but it is even more essential to take care of your body and make healthy choices to keep you going.