Super-Easy Homemade 'Quest' Bars
Unless you've been living under a rock (especially in world of fitness), you've all known about (or obsessed over) the mighty Quest bar! For those of you who are in the dark, the Quest bar is a meal replacement/protein supplement that has the great appeal of having quality ingredients (as in no chemicals such as aspartame, or preservatives) while also being low-carb. The average Quest bar has approximately 4 g of 'net' carbs. They pull this off by having a large fibre content, making up for the bulk of the carbohydrates. These bars come in an array of tasty flavours (most popular: chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies and cream, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake) and they are sweetened with stevia. They are definitely top sellers at pretty well every health food/supplement store!
While I myself adore this product, I was inclined to learn how to make a homemade version. Hey, what's fresher than homemade? I also like to see for myself what's going into what I'm eating.
Enter Pinterest. There are several versions of the how to make 'homemade Quest bars', all very similar (maybe some have actually borrowed from one another- much like what I'm about to do ;) ) I took what I read into consideration, and made my own version.
Super Easy Homemade 'Quest' Bars
- 4 scoops Magnum Nutraceuticals Quattro Protein in Chocolate Love (or your fave brand)
- 1/2 cup agave syrup
- 2 tbsps, Raw Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened
- 1/4 cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (or Almond butter)
- 1/4 cup(s), Ground Flax Seed Meal (1 Tbsp, 6.5g)
- 1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional)
- water, to consistency
Measure all ingredients (except for chocolate chips and water) into a large mixing bowl, until well incorporated. Slowly add small amounts of water to the mixture (approx 2 tbsp at a time) and keep mixing until all ingredients 'stick' together. Careful not to overdo it on the water as the mixture will get mushy. Once the desired consistency is reached, add in chocolate chips. Roll out mixture on to a baking sheet/large plate; make sure it is flat and even. Store in fridge for 2-3 hours, or over night. Cut into 6 bars and ENJOY!!
Once bars are formed, I like to wrap each one individually with plastic wrap to save for later, and to ensure freshness.[/caption]
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 6.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 287 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 8 g | 12 % |
| Saturated Fat 3 g | 13 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 2 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 93 mg | 4 % |
| Potassium 274 mg | 8 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 34 g | 11 % |
| Dietary Fiber 4 g | 14 % |
| Sugars 29 g | |
| Protein 23 g | 46 % |
| Vitamin A | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 5 % |
| Calcium | 6 % |
| Iron | 11 |
* The homemade version does have more 'net' carbs than actual Quest bars, though the carbs are from unrefined, pure agave; the fibre content from the ground flax seed is also a clean source, helping to reduce that net amount.
Get more healthy snack ideas with The BodyRock Meal Plan!