Being Prepared

So much of sticking to Paleo is being prepared. If you don't have yummy healthy things ready to eat throughout the day you'll grab something less healthy. Cause lets face it, you're not you when you're hungry! All my good intentions of eating great go out the window as soon as I'm hungry without Paleo options. So I always have a little fruit or veggies to snack on, water to drink, and a Larabar! Larabars are gluten, dairy, soy FREE, Kosher...and yummy. 
 
I’m obsessed with them, in fact I eat one every day. At $1.50 a piece though I set out to make my own. There are tons of recipes out there so I easily recreated one last week- they were awesome. This week however I decided there wasn’t enough protein in these bars so I took matters into my own hands.

Larabar Basic Recipe
1 cup nuts of your choice
    Almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, etc.
1 cup dates 
1 cup filling (optional)
    Dried cherries, dried blueberries, dried apricot, dried pineapple, cranberries, dried coconut, chocolate chips, coffee beans, cacao nibs, shredded carrot, etc.  
2 - 4 tbsp flavoring (optional)
    Cacao, vanilla, cinnamon, citrus zest and juice, ginger, mint, cloves, coconut oil.

Directions:
In your food processor, mix together fruit and nuts until a sticky, workable dough is formed.  Add flavoring, and process well.  Add fillings, and pulse until combined - being careful not to wreck the texture.  Shape into bars or balls, and wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap.

My version - Cashew protein packed Larabar!
½ cup raw cashews
½ cup raw almonds
9 dates
1 scoop protein powder (I used Simply Pure Nutrients Chocolate flavor)
Coconut oil

Chops the nuts a little in food processor then add dates and mix together in food processor until it gets sticky. Just keep checking the mixture. Then add the protein powder and check again, mine was dry so I added ½ tbsp of coconut oil and mixed it all again for a second.
 
And guess what? They are awesome!!...and awesome for you!!

The four in front have the chocolate protein powder, the four in the back are the basic recipe with cashews and almonds.