Mmm...quinoa berry bars!

This weekend was yet again ANOTHER competition (more on that later this week!). Normally, for these kinds of all-day competitions, I like to turn into a Paleo Betty Crocker and cook up a Paleo storm for me and my Crossfitting friends.

This time around, I simply didn’t have the time or the ingredients to do anything to the extent that I’d normally do. That means, no adult fruit roll-ups, homemade jerky, or Paleo crack (see lots of recipes at the recipe archive!).

But I did want to make something. Just in the nick of time, my WW leader Jennifer sent me a recipe for these berry bars, which looked not only delicious, but easy to make and super nutritious.

The key to cooking for a competition day is small morsels of nutrient-dense food, i.e., something that will keep you sated without having to gorge yourself on it. Because what’s worse than WODing on a full stomach? Can we say Pukie?

This recipe is extremely simple, and uses all natural, whole ingredients.

All the dry ingredients.

Simply combine all the dry ingredients.

Combine with the wet ingredients.

Then add the wet.

Ready to bake!

Place in a greased pan.

Heat berries.

While the bars bake, heat your berries and smoosh up when they soften.

All done!

Take your baked bars out of the oven.

Let the berry goodness spreaaaad!

And then pour your warm berry mixture over.

Mmm!

Let it cool.

Ready to enjoy!

And enjoy!

Just be sure to be nice and share....

The recipe is extremely nutrient-dense, and while there is no added sweetener, as you will see, depending on the whey or protein powder you use may add a twinge of Stevia flavoring to the mix (you know what I’m talking about). Also, next time I make these, I am considering adding some berries TO the mix, in addition to on top for added sweetness and juiciness. Let me know how you like it!

Quinoa Berry Protein Bars

Om nom!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked quinoa (a complete protein!)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 4 tablespoons flaxseed flour/meal
• 5 standard scoops vanilla whey powder (or your favorite vanilla protein isolate powder)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 cups frozen berries of choice (I used 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup mixed berries with cherries)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix together all ingredients, except for fruit, until everything is evenly coated. Pour mixture into a greased baking pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.

While bars bake, warm frozen berries in a saucepan, mashing up well as the berries warm.

Once berries come out of the oven, prick with fork all over, then pour mashed berries over the top. Allow bars to cool before cutting and serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

This recipe yields 12 servings, and for my WW peeps, that’s 4p+ per bar. For non-WW peeps, each bar has almost 13 grams of protein, far more than most “protein” bars.