Post-Workout Protein Bars

Going along with my weight loss plan, I've been searching online (mainly Pinterest, my newest addiction!) for weight loss tips and recipes. One of the biggest problems I've had in the past was the almost frantic hunger I felt post-workout. I would get in a great, calorie-busting workout on the elliptical machine for 35 minutes, lift weights for another 25 minutes, then do a cool down. Unfortunately by that point, I was absolutely ravenous and would look for something to eat as quickly as possible before I would develop a throbbing headache. Usually that meant I would run home and eat a cold slice of pizza, run to a place like Panera (healthier than McDonald's, sure, but not exactly low-cal or low fat), or just carb overload. And I wondered why I wasn't losing weight???

This quick recipe looked not only tasty, but realistic after an intense workout. I read that many runners like to carry these snacks along with them, so they can get a protein boost after a long run (Will, who has been a runner for many years, confirmed this). I made these the other day, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were! Normally when I think of protein bars I think of that processed cardboard taste, but these treats were a different story altogether. I ate two post-workout last week, and I felt satisfied and didn't feel the urge to snack on unhealthy foods. The only problem is I can NEVER find unsweetened coconut. Ever. I'm convinced it doesn't actually exist, so I just used the standard sweetened coconut you find in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

Source: Popsugar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup unsweetened flaky coconut
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

Directions:

1. Combine peanut butter, milk powder, and coconut in a large bowl.

2. Stir in oats, ground cinnamon, wheat germ, and apple juice concentrate until thoroughly combined.

3. Shape the mixture into 16 1-inch balls (I actually stuck the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes before doing this, as it seemed a little too gooey to shape properly).

4. Chill thoroughly before serving, about an hour. Store remaining balls in the refrigerator.