High Protein Granola Bars

High protein granola bars. Easy to store, pack, and send to work or school.

Rachel, the daughter

Jared started back to school this week. He’s been back to coaching duties for awhile, but Monday was his first official school work day, dressed in his khakis and polo and reporting for a new position (same school, new role). And after my mom, Jackson, and I get back from the International Food Blogger Conference in Portland this weekend, Jackson will be starting “school” too. It’s really just a Mother’s Day Out program two days a week, so I can go to my “office” (ie, Panera Bread or Starbucks) and write. It still means getting him his first nap mat and backpack and lunchbox, which is totally what getting ready for school is all about, right? Do you think he’ll need a Trapper Keeper, too!? I seriously fought the urge to buy one when I was at the store the other day. Ten years later and August still feels slightly incomplete without picking out a new Trapper Keeper and non-skid sneakers for gym class. 🙂

Since our lives are about to be on-the-go, I’m testing some grabbable, packable, reheatable recipes for our work and school days. Several of our easy-to-pack lunch recipes were featured a couple of weeks ago on We Are Teachers, a site full of great resources for teachers, and it inspired me to do the same for snacks and breakfasts.

I’m quite adjusted to Jackson and I’s leisurely morning routine of coffee & cereal or a smoothie for me and oatmeal for him. I sip my second cuppa joe while Jackson plays outside. We share a mid-morning snack. I shower. And before we know it, it’s time for Jackson’s first nap. Most days, I really don’t start being productive until 10:00 or 11:00 when he’s gone down for his nap. Breakfast is going to have to be super easy in order to get me up, dressed, and out of the house by 8:30 am.

One of our favorite on-the-go snacks or breakfasts are Luna Bars (Yep, my manly husband is not ashamed to eat The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women). I do love them, but they are processed and aren’t organic and their shiny wrapper gets my one-year old son completely excited and he insists on having a bite too. Then I have to either deal with a meltdown or give him a bite and feel guilt that my toddler adores packaged processed foods. The last two mornings, he has brought me a box of cornbread mix and ended up in tears trying to get me to open it for him. I don’t know what he thinks is in there, but he’s pretty certain if it comes in a box or a wrapper it must be delicious.

I made my own granola bars today that I feel completely fine sharing with my toddler and that my husband can feel truly manly about eating. They are gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free and have almost 8 grams of protein per bar. The only sugar is 1 T. of honey and 2 dates for 8 bars.

Now if I can just figure out how to get them in a shiny package and cardboard box for Jackson.

Easy on-the-go breakfast or snack. (Ignore my unmanicured fingernails!)

High Protein Granola Bars

Makes 8 bars

Ingredients

1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1 t. honey
1 T. chia seeds soaked in 3 T. warm water
1/2 c. oats (gluten-free oats will make this recipe entirely gf)
1/2 c. puffed brown rice cereal
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds (or sliced almonds)
1 T. pea protein powder (or your protein powder of choice)
1 T. cacoa nibs
2 dates, finely chopped
1/4 t. cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine peanut butter, honey, and vanilla in a medium sauce pan and warm over medium low heat until melty. Add remaining ingredients and stir until it’s all combined and coated with peanut butter mixture.

Pour onto a parchment-lined pan and spread out to a 1/2 inch thick square. Cut into 8 bars.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before moving. They will harden as they sit out, but are not a really crunchy granola bar.

They fit perfectly into this sandwich/snack container. Confession: I bought and used this in high school, long before having a little boy to pack lunch for was on my radar.

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