YesToRealFood.RealLife: Protein Blueberry Bars

Who doesn't love protein bars? Their convenient, delicious, and an easy way to get more protein into your diet. They're also good for you, right? Well...not always! There are some really good ones out there, but many of the protein bars you see lining the grocery store shelves are basically glorified candy bars. They are loaded down with extra sugar, and most of the time, not the natural kind. And while they might be delicious, they are not always as healthy as they claim to be. Many of the ingredients in these popular protein bars can include:
-High fructose corn syrup
-Canola oil and hydrogenated fats
-Artificial sweeteners (sucralose, etc)
-Refined sugars

Why not try making your own homemade protein bars? Give it a shot! What do you have to loose? Nothing...but you might just fall in love with these. Not only are they better for you, but they will end up costing you less in the long run. AND...major bonus...you don't even have to turn on the oven for these. Just freeze for an hour and they're ready to go!

I am going to give you the exact ingredients that I used for these particular bars in the picture (I think they taste pretty amazing). Below the recipe, I will also give you substitutions, or some other ideas to try (if, for instance, say you're not crazy about blueberries).

Homemade Protein Blueberry Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (I use Crazy Richard's 100% Natural)**

3/4 cup honey
2 cups of instant rolled oats
1 cup fresh blueberries (see possible substitutions below)
1/2 cup protein powder (chocolate)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1 cup flaxseed

In a saucepan, combine almond butter, peanut butter, and honey. Stir well and heat until well combined and softened. Remove from heat. Transfer to a large bowl and add oats, blueberries, protein powder and flaxseed. Stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture into a square glass baking dish and press down firmly. Freeze for one hour. Remove and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator for up to one week.

Possible modifications to recipe above:
*Be sure to use one cup of a type of nut butter. However, you may wish to use one cup of peanut butter, or one cup of almond butter (instead of half of each).
*If not a fan of blueberries, could try substituting for dried cherries, dried cranberries (YUM!), or whatever kind of fruits you like.
*You could omit the coconut flakes, if you prefer
**Crazy Richard's is a 100% all natural peanut butter. The only ingredient is "peanuts." This brand can be found at Wal-Mart, or Harris Teeter. Be careful with the popular brands of peanut butter. Many contain high fructose corn syrup.
On a side note: Not only are these bars high in protein, but extremely high in antioxidants, as well. It is said that flaxseed may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. According to Web MD, it owes its healthy reputation to three healthy components:

*Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. Each tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains about 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s.

*Lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities. Flaxseed contains 75 to 800 times more lignans than other plant foods.

*Fiber, Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble types.