4 Healthy Protein Bar Recipes for Trekkers

Before going on a trek, most people swarm the supermarket to load up on namkeen, chips and cream biscuits as snacks for their treks, instead of healthy snacks like trail mix or Protein Bars. We have seen backpacks spilling with packets of junk.

But all this junk food isn’t just additional weight for your backpack. Carrying these above 4,000 ft. wouldn’t serve the purpose of keeping you satisfied for long. And, not to forget, the empty calories only add further weight to your body.

While trekking, your body is constantly working up a sweat and consuming energy. Since humidity levels are much lower in the mountains, you might not even feel the sweating. You need to refuel your body at regular intervals in order to keep it going.

Eating heavy meals at high altitudes isn’t a good idea either. Yes, the cold will make you hungry. But you still have to digest all that food. Low oxygen levels make it difficult for the body to digest food. The oxygen levels, as you know, only drop as you go higher.

So avoid having three heavy meals. Break these down into six small meals instead. This is where protein bars come in. To break the monotony of the meals, you can have a couple of protein bars.

Why Protein Bars?

Well, for starters, they are healthy. They are certainly the most efficient snacks to carry on a trek, and take up much lesser space. Also, they taste good when frozen (which also means that they have a good shelf life). They keep you satisfied for long.

Besides, you don’t want to increase the number of plastic wrappers up on the mountains. As a part of the Green Trails initiative, we actively discourage packaged foods because of the plastic used in the packaging. You can carry protein bars in zip-lock pouches which can be reused. That ticks all our boxes of portability, storage, eco-friendliness, taste and health.

| Homemade bars for the win!

Most protein bars available in the markets are expensive. This could be discouraging for those of us who want to eat clean. So we’ve specially designed recipes for protein bars that can be carried on high altitude treks.

These can be made with easily available, store-bought ingredients and require little or no baking time. So they don’t burn a hole in your pocket. On your next trek, make some space in your backpack to tuck some of these homemade protein bars.

Sattu and Oats Protein Bar

The sattu & oats protein bar is a surprisingly tasty treat. I’m sure you wouldn’t look at the humble sattu the same way again. Bursting with flavor, this protein bar has the texture of a soft cookie.

– Prep Time: 20 Min

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Method

1. Mix all the dry and wet ingredients separately, and combine them later.

Recipe by Chaitali Raizada, founder of Taantraa Organic Baking.

Oats and Dates Protein Bar (No Bake)

This one is simple with minimum ingredients and no baking time. I used to make these to last me for atleast a week during my days of being a gym rat. 

– Prep Time: 15 Min

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Method

1. Put the oats in a bowl.

2. Using

a wooden spoon, mix in the dates and nuts

into the oats.

Recipe by Karishma Jayapaul.

Soya Chunks and Peanut Protein Bar

The soya chunks and peanut protein bar looks like a gooey brownie and tastes like one too. This one will be a hit with those who enjoy dark or bitter chocolate, and who are not afraid to experiment with textures. Keep these airtight to make sure they remain crisp even at extremely low temperatures.

– Prep Time: 20 Min

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Method

1. Heat the water and add the soya granules to it. This will soften the soya.

Recipe by Chaitali Raizada, founder of Taantraa Organic Baking.

Granola Bars

This is a classic. Who doesn’t love granola bars! The pastry flour makes them high carb, which is perfect for high altitudes.

– Prep Time: 10 – 15 Min

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Method

1. Preheat oven to 94°C. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper / butter paper.

Recipe by Navarathna Sanjeev

Conclusion

So here are the easy-to-make Protein Bars that you can carry on your next trek and say no to packaged snacks, forever!

Have you tried any other DIY on-the-go snack recipes? Let us know in the comments below.