A Healthy Recipe Packed with Great Fall Flavor and a Punch of Protein

It would be a gross understatement to say that I have begun to get into the swing of Fall. The only way to accurately describe my welcoming of this season is to say that I have contracted an obsession. Recently I came across a Buzzfeed article 25 Things All Basic White Girls Do During The Fall  and momentarily thought I was reading my Facebook newsfeed instead of a totally disassociated post. Pretty sure a #PSL was in my hand as I was scrolling down the list. Yes, it’s that bad.

Of all the Fall phenoms I wholeheartedly embrace , my efforts in the kitchen are the most abundant of my seasonal outputs. If a recipe doesn’t have a squash, pumpkin,or pepita in it, fat chance it’s ending up on my dinner table. In the last 3 weeks pumpkin chili, pumpkin mug cakes, spaghetti squash primavera, pumpkin granola, pumpkin lattes, and roasted butternut squash have already been rotated into my Autumnal diet and Fall has just begun.

This weekend gave birth to my latest kitchen creation–homemade pumpkin protein bars. These bars were inspired by a new macro meal plan that I’ve been trying out courtesy of one of my absolute favorite Instagrammers, Gym Girl Jessie. After wrapping my home workout DVD diet, I turned to her for help establishing a healthy eating plan that I could stick to through the holidays. For $20 she’ll craft a custom macro plan that lets you know how much protein, fat, and carbs you should eat based on your activity level.

I’m on week 4 and so far I’m loving the regimen. Rather than counting calories or depriving myself of certain foods, this plan allows me complete flexibility to fill my meals with the foods I love as long as I keep my macros in balance. The most challenging part has been finding ways to hit my daily protein quota. Aside from snacking on protein bars and shakes, it’s lead me to find creative ways to incorporate more protein into the foods I already enjoy or recipes I’m planning on making.

Thus, birth was given to a recipe that could indulge both of my fall ambitions–incorporating pumpkin into all recipes and pumping up my protein intake. For those of you counting your macros each bar provides 131 calories, 13 g protein, 14 g carbs, and 2 g fat.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 2.0 tbsps Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1.0 tbsp Truvia Baking Blend
• 0.25 tsp  Salt
• 0.5 cup 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 2.0 large Eggs – Whites only
• 3.0 tbsps Calorie Free Pancake Syrup (I like Walden Farms)
• 3.0 scoops Protein Powder  (I like Metabolic Nutrition Protizyme Protein Peanut Butter Cookie)
• 2.0 tbsps Raw Pepitas

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together protein powder, oats, pepitas, pumpkin pie spice, salt and Truvia.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg whites, and pancake syrup.
4. Slowly stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture, mixing just enough to evenly coat.
5. Spray an 8×8 baking pan with non-stick spray and pour the mixture into the pan.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
7. Cut into 8 bars and serve or store.

Hope you enjoy!

Superbly Single,

Jen