With the busy lives so many of us lead, we may need to have a quick snack to help us through the day. From rushing from an early morning workout, to a meeting, to picking up the kids, and running around to after school activities this simple, “DIY Perfect Bar” recipe is a great snack option to have on hand! It honestly tastes like a dessert but is packed with a good amount of healthy fats and protein to help us stay full until our next meal.
The stores are lined with so many energy bars nowadays. Sometimes it may feel overwhelming to choose, so why not just have one ready to go? Plus – who doesn’t love a good peanut butter and chocolate combo?
Check out our Bite-Sized Review of Perfect Bars.
The staple of the “Perfect Bar:”
Healthy fats – Fats are an important part of the diet; we just have to be sure to choose the right kind. Focusing more on choosing unsaturated fats versus saturated is a great start. Peanut butter is a source of monounsaturated fat that helps increase HDL, the “good” cholesterol in our bodies. Be sure to read food labels and serving sizes to make sure we are not overindulging in the PB! Around 20-35% of your daily intake should come from healthy fats.
Protein – The range of protein needed for active individuals is 1.2 grams – 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. It is recommended to space out protein throughout the day and incorporate protein with meals and snacks! Grabbing this quick snack will give you around 13 grams of protein.
The cost per traditional Perfect Bar is around $2.50 – $3.00 at the stores. Our DIY Perfect Bar recipe adds up to be $4.44 for the entire recipe – breaks down to $0.50 per serving!
Seriously, this recipe could not be easier. Just throw it all together and BOOM.
DIY Perfect Bar
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1 c. unsalted peanut butter (or any nut butter)
- ¼ c. honey
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 2 T. semi-sweet mini morsels chocolate chips
- ½ t. salt
Instructions
- Mix together peanut butter and honey in a microwave safe dish.
- Place in the microwave for 30 seconds to lightly melt the peanut butter mixture.
- Stir in protein powder and vanilla extract.
- Place in an 8×8 dish lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- Smooth out with the back of the spoon.
- Sprinkle on salt and chocolate chips.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins.
- Cut into 1-inch pieces. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bar
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 12.7 g
- Sodium: 158.2 mg
- Fat: 15.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.1 g
- Protein: 10.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0.8 mg