There are times when it’s next to impossible to get in a freshly prepared, well-balanced meal that’s going to accommodate your muscle-building or fat-loss goals. Turning to fast or convenient food is often a very unwise decision, nutritionally speaking, which leaves many guys opting to choose a protein bar.

Unfortunately, most guys think they’re doing themselves a favor when they opt for a protein bar since now they have protein in combination with carbohydrates, which is much better than the rush of pure carbs attained with a cereal or energy bar. The truth is, however, that manufactured protein bars are often nothing more than glorified candy bars and are going to do nothing in terms of enhancing your physique.

What’s more, if you look at the ingredient listing on your typical protein bar, one of the top ingredients is glucose-fructose syrup, which will likely go right to your fat cells. Since the body has such limited fructose stores (approximately 50 grams a day), once you consume over and above this amount, the body will start quickly converting it to body fat.

You’d be much better off preparing one of the following protein bar recipes and keeping them on hand for when you’re in a rush. These protein bar recipes have a great blend of carbohydrates, protein and dietary fat, helping to provide your body with the lasting energy and amino acids it needs to get through the day, while also repairing and building your muscle tissue.

No-bake protein oat bars

Ingredients:

2 cups dry oatmeal
4 scoops whey protein powder (vanilla or chocolate works best)
½ cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup of water or milk


Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and then press into a 9-by-9 inch pan lined with wax paper. Freeze for 40 minutes and cut into bars.

Since these bars have a good amount of healthy fat, they are best used when you’re not preparing to exercise or recovering from your session, when fat should be avoided.

Blueberry and banana bars

Ingredients:

1 cup raw oatmeal
5 scoops of banana-flavored protein powder
½ cup non-fat dry milk powder
¼ cup fat-free cream cheese
2 egg whites
1½ bananas, mashed
1 cup blueberries
¼ cup water
3 tsp canola oil


Directions:

First, preheat the oven to 325F. Combine oatmeal, protein powder and dry milk. Next, in another bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg whites, bananas, blueberries, water, and oil; beat this with an electric mixer until well blended. Pour this batter into a sprayed 9-by-9 inch square pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

These protein bar recipes are a great alternative to store-bought versions…
These bars are excellent as a pre-workout snack due to their low fat content. If you’d like to turn them into a more complete meal, consider adding some nuts or flax seeds to the batter before baking, or smear with peanut butter or another nut butter after they have cooled.

Peanut butter and honey protein bars

Ingredients:

1 cup natural peanut butter
½ cup honey
2 cups oatmeal
5 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup milk

Directions:
For this protein bar recipe, combine all ingredients in a bowl, press into a pan, and let set in the fridge. Once solid, cut them into individual bars.

Nuts and seeds protein bar

Ingredients:

½ cup oatmeal
½ cup whole wheat flour or oat bran
6 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 cup non-fat dry milk
2 tbsp flaxseeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
¼ cup mixed nuts
¼ cup dried fruit
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla
½ cup water


Directions:

Combine oatmeal, oat bran, protein powder, dry milk powder, seeds, nuts, and dried fruit in a bowl. Stir in natural peanut butter, vanilla and water until moist and spread with a wooden spoon or spatula into a non-stick baking dish. Place in the fridge for an hour until firm.

If you’d like to make this recipe more low-carb in nature, consider replacing the dried fruit with another type of nut or seed and replace the oat bran with more ground flaxseeds. This will increase the caloric value of the bars though, so be sure you keep that in mind when working them into your overall diet.