Maca chia bars!

So I have recently been trying to make healthy recipes that taste great so that I have something good to eat when I want a snack instead of reaching for unhealthy crisps and chocolate all the time! I have been wanting to get myself some maca powder and try it in some recipes for so long, and know I finally have some. These quick and easy bars are plant based and oh so YUMMY!!

First lets talk about why these are good for you.

Almonds! They are probably one of my favourite nuts and they are so good for you. They contain lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. The health benefits of almonds include lower blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. They can also reduce hunger and promote weight loss AND they taste great! - a win, win situation I think!

Chia seeds are a bit of craze in the vegan/plant based diet comuntiy. I may not be vegan but I do love using chia seeds in my baking and in my smoothies! They are non-GMO, naturally free of gluten, loaded with fiber, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and other various micronutrients.

Now lets talk about this maca powder that I mentioned earlier. Maca powder, originally as a maca root, is great at balancing hormones which means it can help to decrease levels of anxiety and depression - one of the main reasons I wanted to try it! It also has a positive effect on energy, stamina and mood. This little root has a lot of benefits right?!

The reason I had never bought maca powder was because of how expensive it is. However, when I visited Aldi the other week I found that they have started to make superfood powders, chia seeds and plant based bars for a really good price! This bag is 100g and only cost £2.49! Some brands sell maca powder for about £6 per 100g!!

Now lets get onto the recipe!

Ingredients:

100g (extra virgin) coconut oil

70g whole almonds

20g chia seeds

100g oats

70g peanut butter

35g honey (use any sort of syrup - i.e. agave nectar/maple syrup to make this vegan!)

1 tbsp maca powder

1/4.2g tsp vanilla extract

1. Put the coconut oil into a small saucepan and melt it on a very low heat - DON'T BOIL IT!

2. Mix the melted coconut oil, honey, peanut butter, maca powder and vanilla together in a mixing bowl.

3. Once combined, add the almonds, chia seeds and oats. stir until fully combined.

4. Line a a small deep baking tray with parchment/ baking paper and spread the mixture out until the tray is covered. Push down with a spoon to make it more compact.

5. Put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then put it into the freezer and once it is soft enough, cut into squares - or whatever shape you want your bars to be!

6. Then whenever you feel like a Maca treat, head over to the fridge and take one out! Keep the rest in the fridge till you want to eat them.

Enjoy!

We really hope you enjoy this recipe - its super tasty! If you do recreate these bars, be sure to include the hashtag #Girlstalkmacabars - or tag us!

Nutrition:

For a single 10g bar

Energy: 988.8g | Fat: 18.83g | of which saturates: 9.75g | Carbohydrates: 11.49g | Sugars: 3.84g | Fibre: 2.99g | Protein: 4.97g | Salt: 0.16g

*the nutritional values are not exact and only a guide based on the ingredients we used when making these, and have been rounded slightly. They also may vary depending on the brand of ingredients you use. : ) xxx

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