Salted Chocolate Chia Energy Bars

~Amanda~

Homemade energy bars/balls seem to be all the hype right now… I can’t login to Pinterest without seeing at least one recipe for them, so I finally decided it was about time to see what all the hype was about and make my own. After doing some research about the nutritional benefits they provide and finding out if they actually were all that good for you, I decided that they most definitely were (as long as you’re using the right ingredients). Here in Colorado, most people lead very active lifestyles, and energy bars are great for supporting that. Eating an energy bar about an hour before working out can increase glycogen stores in the body, which your muscles primarily use for burning energy during activity, therefore giving you more energy and a better workout. You should also be eating within about 30-45 minutes after your workout has ended; a post workout snack will help your body replace water and sodium loss and aid in muscle recovery. So whether you’re eating one before or after your workout, or as an energy boost first thing in the morning, these homemade bars are a great choice (especially because they are soooo tasty)!

(in case you bought non-pitted dates on accident like me, this is how you pit a date)

Making your own energy bars is great because you have control over every single ingredient that you’re putting into them; you can choose to use healthy organic ingredients, as well as ingredients you love so you enjoy the taste too (not to mention you’re getting a lot more for your money by making your own). This bar is my favorite that I’ve tried so far because it uses my favorite ingredient, CHOCOALTE! The chocolate flavor combines perfectly with the nuttiness from the almonds and walnuts, and then the dates give that amazing almost caramel-like taste as well as some sweetness, which is great because it’s a natural sugar source and you don’t have to add any refined sugars. They are also so incredibly easy to make; you simply put all the ingredients in a food processor, process them, press into a baking dish, and freeze until firm enough to cut. That’s it! These bars are not only easy to make and taste awesome, but all the ingredients have great nutritional benefits. The base of these bars is dates; dates are rich in so many vital nutrients and offer many health benefits. One of the most important nutrients they contain is fiber which is very important for promoting colon health, cleaning out the gastrointestinal system, and it helps the colon to work at greater levels of efficiency. Dates also are great for promoting heart health, aiding in weight loss, reducing blood pressure impotence, promoting respiratory and digestive health, and even help with good pregnancy deliveries!

Another ingredient that has great health benefits are the chia seeds; they are one of the healthiest foods in the world as they deliver such a large amount of nutrients with very few calories and almost all of the carbs in chia seeds are fiber, so like dates, you’re promoting great digestive health. Chia seeds are also loaded with antioxidants and they’re high in quality protein which aids in weight loss. Now we can’t forget about the cocoa powder either; the cocoa powder gives the bars the amazing chocolatey flavor, which is great for satisfying your chocolate cravings. But did you also know that raw, organic, unprocessed cocoa powder is actually good for you too?! A two tablespoon serving only has 25 calories and 1.5 grams of fat, but it has 3.6 grams of fiber and a good dose of iron and magnesium. It’s also great because it may provide antidepressant benefits; it can help to boost endorphins (and we all know from the wonderful movie Legally Blonde, endorphins make you happy) as well as serotonin, which boosts overall happiness levels. Cocoa is also one of the highest polyphenol-containing foods (i.e. it has a lot of antioxidants) which can help to fight cancer, heart disease, and aging. So now that I’ve gone on and on about how tasty and nutritionally beneficial these bars are, you should definitely make them today; you’ll be so satisfied eating something so delicious while knowing it’s so good for you, and you’ll get so much great energy to carry you through your next work out, hike, bike ride, swim, anything!

Recipe adapted from the one found on Hummusapien.