Almost 4 Full Years A Vegan!! Healthy Beyond Words! Plenty of Protein!!! Here's a Snack Bar Recipe!!! #vegan #plantperfect #kosher #pareve #treattime

Snack or Breakfast Bars

It's coming up on the 4th anniversary of my transition to an all plant diet. I lost 110 lbs and am maintaining my weight right there too.  I'm getting upset about hearing from people who, for weight loss or other health reasons, want to be Whole Foods Plant Based and are taking Protein Supplements. To begin with protein supplements are not whole foods. Whole foods are unprocessed with no preservatives or chemical additives. The supplements tend to contain Erythritol, Stevia or Xylitol as sweeteners. All three, though found in nature, are concentrated, processed sweeteners. When you take a protein powder, one scoop contains about 25 grams of protein and between 120 and 140 calories. It will not fill up your stomach and will not make you feel full. In other words, you are going to eat what you normally would eat to keep yourself from getting hungry and on top of that you are adding 120 to 140 calories per day! For the average person you only need between 45 and 55 grams of protein per day.  Your body has no mechanism to store protein. Any excess protein that you consume your body will convert to fat, burn for energy or excrete.  Every single whole plant food source contains some protein. If you are eating enough plants to make yourself feel full you will easily reach that amount and probably surpass it.

For example:

One cup of oatmeal cooked in water contains 6 grams of protein. Adding 1 cup of almond milk, a banana and 2 tablespoons of milled flaxseed (an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids) brings the total up to 11 grams. 

Two slices of whole wheat bread contain 10 grams of protein. Sprinkling 1/4 cup of chickpeas on a 3 cup serving of spring mix salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing is another 11 grams of protein making a light lunch containing a total of 21 grams of protein. 

As an afternoon snack, try a fruit smoothie with 2 tablespoons of Chia seeds adding more Omega 3 fatty acids and 5 more grams of protein to your day. 

For dinner an ear of corn adds 3 grams, one cup of cooked quinoa adds 8 grams, one veggie black bean burger is 10 grams on a whole grain bun for another 5 grams. That's a dinner with 26 more grams of protein. 

We're already at 63 grams of whole foods plant based protein with no processed sugar and no oil added. We have included all the essential amino acids; the building blocks of protein. You can even round out the night with air popped popcorn adding another gram of protein per popped cup. 

Like I said, getting enough protein is not an issue. We've been convinced by the advertisers for the food industry that we need 2 to 3 times the amount of protein than is really necessary. As a result we have a very serious health problem in our country with diseases like Diabetes, Hypertension and Heart Disease all associated with obesity.
Don't worry about protein. We live in a country of excess. Feeling full is not a problem either. You can eat all the fresh fruit and veggies that you want during the day and night with no guilt and one more gram of clean protein per serving! Nobody is at Weight Watchers because they ate too many apples.

I think we all deserve a treat. Here's my recipe for some wonderful snack bars:

SNACK BARS

Plant Perfect
Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 1 hour, yield 18 bars per pan.

RECIPE:
3 Cups Rolled Oats, 2 Ripe Bananas, 12 Dates (pitted and chopped), 1.5 Cups Apple Cider, 1 Cup Chopped Apples, 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries (Craisins) or raisins, 1 TBS Maple Syrup, 1 TBS Pumpkin Pie Spice, 1 tsp Vanilla, I Cup Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds (may substitute 1 cup of your favorite chopped nuts)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the bananas, 1 cup of rolled oats, maple syrup, apple cider, dates and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy. In a separate bowl put 2 cups rolled oats, pumpkin pie spice, shelled hemp seeds (or nuts) and mix them together. Stir in the contents from the blender until it's the consistency of cookie dough. Mix in the chopped apples and dried cranberries.

Line two 9 x 9 inch baking pans with parchment paper. Spread the dough evenly and bake for 35 minutes. Take it out and let it cool for 10 minutes. Cut it into bars, turn them over and bake for another 15 minutes. Let them cool and serve. For a less chewy granola bar texture let them dry out overnight.

Great as a snack, breakfast bar or energy bar.

Enjoy!

Michael Greger MD, Joel Kahn MD and Allan Kalmus DPM