Tips to Making Your Own Energy Bars

March 20th, 2016

Fully customizable to your lifestyle, homemade energy bars are a low-cost, healthy alternative to expensive, processed commercial products. There are an abundance of recipes available for mixing up a variety of energy bars, some of which require very little preparation and no baking.

Health and Fitness

Dieters and fitness experts alike agree on the convenience and health benefits of energy bars. Various healthy eating platforms that flood the market generally means that what works for one person, may not be suitable for another. Rather than spend valuable time and money at the grocery store after perusing the labels of pricey pre-packaged labels, ask yourself what your nutrition goals are at present. Fickle trends and contradictory research lends itself to a range of nutritional needs and preferences. In season, an avid athlete may be stocking up on calories and carbohydrates, while a sportsman generally needs additional protein during the training season. Calorie count and sodium level are additional examples of special dietary needs that vary from person to person.

Focusing on those ingredients beneficial to your particular nutritional needs is as simple as adding nuts for protein and agave nectar for a healthy alternative to sugar.

Cost and Volume

It is not uncommon for long term money-saving ventures to cost more up front than what you would pay by purchasing a single convenient item. Many an enthusiast has been deterred by the investment stage of pursuing homemade options versus ready-made. By preparing a flexible budget, it is easier to see the long term impact on your wallet and justify the initial spending. A box of oats, a jar of peanut butter, a carton of raisins, and a bear-filled honey bottle are going to cost more than a three-dollar energy bar. Keep the big picture in mind though, as these ingredients are going to make a number of bars that, when multiplied by the cost of purchasing ready-made, should pay for themselves in the short term. If you don’t already have a food processor, don’t feel compelled to make a large purchase. Instead, roll your oats or grain with peanut butter, flax seed and dried fruit. If you do happen to have a fully stocked kitchen, you can expand your repertoire to include those recipes that would otherwise require more elbow grease.

Energy bars are convenient, healthy, and portable options for busy parents, athletes, dieters, and fitness junkies. As real food and clean eating become more prevalent, you don’t need to hunt and gather, but you can skip the processing that takes place to package and preserve energy bars and reap their benefits while still being able to pronounce the ingredients.