Easy Homemade Protein Bars

I have been trying to eat a balanced breakfast.  The problem is that if I make a little omelet with meat and veggies, I generally end up with way more food that I really want to eat in the morning.  I need something a little smaller, but that still has lots of healthy components.

This one has it all.  Fruits, veggies, carbs, fat, nuts, and of course, protein.  I used vanilla flavored protein powder in these, which was a good choice.

Okay, so I forgot to add the carrot.  So there are no veggies in the bars pictured.  Whoops.  The good news is that these bars are no-bake!

The original recipe had them topped with melted chocolate chips.  I tried out a Nutella topping, and was not disappointed.  Either way is good, though.

Homemade Protein Bars (adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 1/2 c oatmeal
• 3 to 4 tbs ground flax seed
• 3 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 c almond butter
• 1/4 c unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 c coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 c shredded carrot
• 1/4 c water
• 1/2 c Nutella hazelnut spread

Instructions:
1.  Mash the banana.  Mix in everything but the Nutella.  The mixture should be sticky.
2.  Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.  Press the oatmeal mixture into the pan. 
3.  Melt the Nutella in the microwave.  Spread over the oatmeal mixture.
4.  Put the pan in the freezer for at least two hours.  Remove from freezer, cut into 12 bars.

These bars are a really good breakfast option.  There isn't really any flavor from the carrots or flax, most of the flavor comes from the protein powder, the banana and the oatmeal.  They're really easy to make.  Give them a try!