This winter I have dedicated myself to improving my swimming technique, and with that comes a new commitment to find nutritious food that will fuel my workouts and keep spirits high. So, I fooled around and came up with some energy bars that I like to call Lana Bars. I have made a few Lana Bars in the past, but today I bring to you two new recipes that you just can’t get at the store: Chocolate Molasses and PB&J. They are packed with nutrients and whole foods, but are still amazingly tasty.
Coffee and Molasses, or PB&J Energy Bars
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups instant/quick cooking oats
1 1/4 cups Kashi puffed wheat cereal
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons of your favorite ground coffee
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dark molasses
3 egg whites
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Equipment:
a round cookie cutter, about 1″ to 1.5″ in diameter
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with a piece of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate. Mix them up well.
Add in the molasses, peanut butter and egg whites. Mix well with your hands so that it all starts to come together.
With a spoon and using the cookie cutter as a form, press about a tablespoon-sized amount into the cutter and on the prepared cookie sheet. Press it down, packing it solidly and then lift off the cookie cutter.
Repeat until you use all of the mixture.
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
While the bars are cooling, melt the 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler, or in a glass bowl over a small pot of simmering water.
Once the chocolate is melted, dip the bottoms of the energy bars into the chocolate so that one side of the bar has a thin coating of chocolate. Set them chocolate side up back onto the cookie sheet to cool and harden.
Once the chocolate is hardened, store the bars in an air-tight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for 2 weeks.
PB&J Energy Bars
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups instant/quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups Kashi puffed wheat cereal
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cups chopped walnuts
pinch of salt
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 dried blueberries
1/4 cup currant or mixed berry jam
3 egg whites
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Equipment:
a round cookie cutter, about 1″ to 1.5″ in diameter
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with a piece of parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate. Mix them up well.
Add in the agave syrup, peanut butter, egg whites and jam. Mix well with your hands so that it all starts to come together.
With a spoon and using the cookie cutter as a form, press about a tablespoon-sized amount into the cutter and on the prepared cookie sheet. Press it down, packing it solidly and then lift off the cookie cutter.
Repeat until you use all of the mixture.
Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
While the bars are cooling, melt the 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler, or in a glass bowl over a small pot of simmering water.
Once the chocolate is melted, dip the bottoms of the energy bars into the chocolate so that one side of the bar has a thin coating of chocolate. Set them chocolate side up back onto the cookie sheet to cool and harden.
Once the chocolate is hardened, store the bars in an air-tight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for 2 weeks. Pop one before you start practicing your flip turns.
