Primal banana protein bars

 

The quest for a minimum ingredient homemade protein bar is over. So is the one for a non bake bar. That's right - this thing is raw, and only has 4 ingredients. It also has 25 grams of protein. Let's dig in.

To make 4 bars you need:

1 medium banana, ripe

3 scoops whey protein ( I used vanilla)

1 cup almond meal 

1 tablespoon coconut oil (feel free to use butter)

Use a blender/chopper to mix everything very well. You will get a sticky raw cookie dough consistency. Form a large bar shape, roll in almond meal and roll and press in baking paper. Place in the fridge for 3 hours and your bars are ready. Take out, cut in 4 and roll the edges in almond meal one more time. It's very tempting to eat the bars before they have thickened up in the fridge - try to control yourself- I dare you.

The great news is that these bars are actual protein bars, not just delicious bars - they can be a whole meal. Enjoy!

per bar: calories 300, fat 18 g, carbs 12 g, protein 25g, fiber 4 g 

This week's FAQ

I've gotten some interesting questions this week, and I decided to share the answers, just so they don't stay forever buried in my ''sent'' box :)

Q: Can I stop taking fish oil? It's making me very hungry!
A: I think you should keep taking it. What's going on is that you are finally awake to how undernourished your body is. Most people who experience heightened hunger after starting with fish oil in my experience are mildly depressed. As soon as the clouds clear up they no longer suffer from the appetite loss connected with depression or very high stress levels.

Q: Can I eat fruit with other foods? The combination diet says that fruit rots in your stomach if you eat it after other foods.
A: Yes you can eat fruit with other foods, in fact this is how most people I work with, enjoy their fruit. An apple and some almonds, or a banana with some peanut butter...I personally really enjoy pineapple with my meals, as it helps with digestion. In general, if you feel good eating your fruit with other foods, go for it. The body is smarter than letting something ''rot'' in there. While we are at it, food combining is a myth.

Q: What food can I eat in unlimited amounts while on a weight loss plan?
A:   If you structure your meals well, they should leave you satisfied. Satisfied does not mean overstuffed. I don't consider it healthy to try to find some mystery zero calorie food to fool our stomachs and brains with. Make sure each meal contains quality protein, fats, veggies (or fruit), and you will do just fine eating normal portions. If you feel like you are used to a higher volume of food, you can try to add blended soups at the beginning of each meal.

Q: Can I start fasting for one day out of the week.
A:   One day without food may be beneficial to some people. There is a growing body of research on the positive effects of short fasts for fat loss and health. My warning to most females going this road is to make sure the rest of the week includes plenty of nutritious food and that fasting is not just a tool to excuse days of random eating. I have seen some people do very well on 24 hour fasts and others go directly to overeating and unhealthy relationship with food. Be sure to examine your motives before you start!

A banana what?

It's Tuesday morning...I skipped breakfast. We are driving towards LA and I am starting to get hungry. By the way, if you are a superhero on the way to LA on a Tuesday morning, please don't use a car, fly. Traffic jams work up an appetite...

We stop in front of Starbucks. We go in and I know, I know, I am saved, because they have fruit. I can have a banana and it will hold me over till we get someplace decent to eat.

As I wait for the lady in front of me to order a ''skinny mocha latte, no foam, one pump caramel ...'' I look at the bowl of bananas next to the tip jar and I try to choose the nicest one, so I am ready to grab it when it's my turn. Then I stand in front of the cashier, proudly hand him my Starbucks card and say: '' May I have a banana please''.

He looks at me, incredulous, and for a second I wonder if I said that in English .

Then he asks: "' A banana what?''

I grab my banana and smile: "A real banana!".

He looks back and says: " I am sorry, this rarely happens!''

Sesame Bananas

You throw bananas in shakes, frozen yogurt and even in your bag, they are nature's fastest fast food, but here is a way to slow things down - cook your bananas.

Plantains, banana's harder, starchier cousin, are used in place of potatoes or rice all throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. They are not as easy to find as bananas, but if you can find them, this recipe can use them, too.

Cook as many bananas as you like for breakfast, as a side to an omelet, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, toast and peanut butter, or pancakes.

To make one banana, you need:

1 inch vanilla bean (you can use 2-3 drop of vanilla extract instead)
2 small slices ginger
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tbsp butter

Melt the butter in a pan over medium to low heat, and add the vanilla bean (open and scrape insides into butter). Add the ginger slices and stir. Place the sliced banana on top (you can slice it any way you like) and cook on both sides. Add sesame seeds shortly before you remove from the pan.

Enjoy as breakfast or as dessert. Adding a tbsp of rum will make this a wonderful after dinner treat.

Easy bananabread

This rich in protein and fiber banana bread is excellent just by itself or with a touch of cream cheese. It's perfect for work and even your colleagues will love it!

Bread comes in all shapes and sizes. I like to bake quickly, so I spread the batter out instead of using a pan that requires the loaf to bake for a long time.

This easy to make, ridiculously lazy recipe calls for:

1 medium banana, mashed
1 scoop vanilla protein
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup flax meal
dash of pumpkin spice or just cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and bake on a baking sheet, spreading the batter with the thickness of a slice of bread. Bake at 350F/180 C for about 12 minutes, wait for it to cool off, slice up and store in the fridge to take to work or for quick snacks at home.