I will never be Crossfit Games caliber. It’s just the cold, hard truth. BUT that does NOT mean I’m still not an overly combetitive individual trying every day to get better. I want to be stronger, I want to be faster, and of course I want to look better (I’m a very superficial person).
In an attempt to take my training a little more seriously I’m honing in on diet (and recovery!) like I never have before–I’ll be continuing to play with principles of the 21DSD and perhaps a summertime Whole30 is on the agenda as well. I’m enough of a purist that I’m avoiding the protein powders and supplements (I only take Vitamin D and liquid fish oil) and trying to worry less about partitioning nutrients at certain times of day than about the overall quality of my diet. That being said, a search for the perfect post-workout shot of protein and carbs is a high priority at the moment, especially since it’s a tough nut to crack when you’re looking for whole food items that will keep for a few hours in the car or at the office. A popular option for a lot of folks in my shoes are nut and nut butter-based snacks, but I’m also wary of consuming too many nuts and nut products because of the high omega-6 content. Besides, relatively speaking, the protein content of nuts isn’t that high and they have a little too much fat for a PWO fuel. Everybody is different, but if I get too much fat PWO I feel like I’m going to puke, especially after a tough metcon. These last few weeks I’ve been doing a hard-boiled eggs and coconut water, which I think is working pretty well but got old after like, a day and a half.
So, this weekend, I started playing around with some good PWO fuel options that I could bake into something portable. These aren’t anything fancy but they give you a nice hit of protein and starchy carbs (with cinnamon to help with insulin sensitivity!) and can be tossed in a ziploc baggie or tupperware for easy access.
I almost never do macronutrient breakdowns, but in the interest of fitness and the meticulous science that is the PWO fuel debate, I went all the way over to FatSecret and did the legwork for you:
Per bar (based on recipe yielding 12 bars): 101 Calories, 4 g Fat, 22.3 g Carbohydrate, and 6.1 g Protein
INGREDIENTS
(makes 12 bars)
2 Large Yams, shredded
6 Eggs, beaten
2 T Coconut Flour
2 t Cinnamon
1 t Vanilla
1 t Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the yams with the eggs, coconut flour, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Press the mixture down into a greased 4.8 QT (15x10x2) baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is browned and there are no liquid bubbles. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
What a great idea! I’m so tired of seeing protein bar recipes that call for the powder as well as nuts and honey, two things I limit in my diet. I’m going to try these for sure!
great recipes sounds yummy!
I’m up for anything with Yams in it. They have been one of my staples for the 13 months I’ve been living the Paleo Lifestyle. Mashed, Fried, Baked you name it, I use it in soups, hash, french fries, chips – YUM!
@April there’s a reason for using protein powder in those recipes… It’s so they can actually call themselves PROTEIN bars. Did you see the macros for this recipe? 4g fat, 22 g carb, 6 g protein. It’s “strict” paleo, yes, but hardly a protein bar.
These look good! I bet they’re delicious
As Austin says though they could include more protein… I do flipping love yams though!
How long do they last if properly stored?
Cheers,
Rob
Palbars
I agree–but these are so much easier than salmon and sweet potatoes on the go. It’s really tough to find a good balance, and I had a really hard time trying to get enough protein in there without overdoing the fat content since I wanted them to be something that digested quickly after a good workout.
I kept a whole batch in the fridge for two weeks. During the day I’d put two in a ziploc baggie and they’d be at room temp for 4-5 hour and were still delicious!
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You actually make it appear so easy together with your presentation but I in finding this matter to be really one thing that I think I’d by no means understand. It seems too complicated and extremely vast for me. I’m taking a look forward for your subsequent submit, I’ll attempt to get the hold of it!
Want to make something to take for everyone tomorrow after we all do 13.2! 2 questions about these; can I use sweet potatoes instead, and what are you greasing your pan with..
Yes, and coconut oil
Great, thanks!!!
One more thing, if I double the recipe, do I also need to double the baking time?
No…I’d just use a bigger pan. Or if you’re using the same size pan, add 5-10 minutes and run the toothpick test.
Thanks again
Wow!!!! I made these yesterday, and truly adore them! What a fabulous recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!