Of course, our best sources of nutrition come from whole, real, complete foods sourced with care. But when life gets busy, or when travel fills the calendar, it can be tricky to source the kinds of virtuous ingredients our bodies deserve…especially when it comes to protein.
This is where these protein-rich, PBJ-inspired granola bars come in! They’re quick to make, easy to love and will satisfy any sweet tooth, while packing in power-fueling protein from single-sourced collagen. I use Bubs Naturals Collagen Peptides; they’re free of fragrance + flavor so they blend right in to support recovery, hair, skin, nails, joints, reduce inflammation, improve digestion and boost your day!
Flavors are FUN, yes, but they also are the mechanisms by which our bodies nourish themselves. Flavors basically tell our bodies what the food is giving us – on a nutritional and energetic level. Our bodies then prepare enzymes to break those components down, assimilate them, and turn them into fuel for our vibrant lives. We can’t eat just one flavor and get all of the things we need, so learning to track the flavors in our foods helps us to be sure that we’re really getting all of the things we need in our meals. This particular recipe has four of six flavors. The more flavors we can enjoy in any meal or food, the happier and more balanced our bodies will be. If you’re wanting to learn more about how the flavors we eat fuel our bodies – energetically and nutritively, check out this little blog post.
A collagen-boosted protein bar inspired by PBJ!
Line a 9” loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the two long sides like a sling. (This will help you to remove your bars!)
In a large bowl, mix your collagen peptides with the coconut oil, salt, maple syrup, vanilla and nut butter. Stir to combine, until a smooth batter forms. Then, add in the freeze dried strawberries, rolled oats, chopped almonds and cinnamon. Stir again until the mixture is cohesive and no streaks or ingredient lumps are obvious.
Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with a spatula.
Next, warm your chocolate gently (this is best done in a microwave in 10 second increments.) Be careful not to overheat the chocolate! Then drizzle the chocolate over your bars. Sprinkle with remaining crushed freeze dried strawberries.
Chill in the refrigerator for roughly one hour to set OR in the freezer until firm.
Once chilled, remove your bars from the fridge and remove them from the pan using the sling of parchment paper. (You may have to use a knife to release any solid chocolate from the edges of the pan.) Transfer the bars to a cutting board, and remove the parchment paper.
Cut the bars into 8 equal slices, then enjoy!
Breakfast bars can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.