No-Bake Vegan Protein Bars

Proteinproteinprotein. In America, you can never have enough protein.

Got a stain on your shirt? Have some protein.

Phone died? Have some protein.

Broke your left toe? Have some protein.

It's next to impossible to be deficient in protein if you're consuming enough calories. Did you know that your body only needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram body weight? Did you know that after consuming about 25 grams of protein at a time, the rest is stored as fuel?

Now don't get me wrong---protein is very, very important. But we tend to go a liiiiittle over-board. Like I love when people hear I don't eat meat and immediately ask me where I got my shirt from.

Kidding. They of course immediately ask me where I get my protein. Because if you don't eat steak, how the hell are you even alive?!

To many people, meat = protein. Bread = carbs. Butter = fat. There's a lot more to the macronutrient story than that, my friends. I get plenty of protein each day from foods like beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, tempeh, spirulina, and brown rice protein powder after workouts. My albumin is right where it should be, as are my iron, B12, and calcium levels. Plant power, baby!

You needn't smash chicken breasts and quest bars and whey protein shakes to be fit. Shocking, I know.

When it comes to plant-based protein powder, choose a clean brown rice, pea, or hemp protein (or combination) that's naturally sweetened with stevia or a bit of coconut sugar. My favorites include Skoop B-Strong brown rice protein, Vega Protein + Greens, or Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70. Stay away from soy protein isolate, which is the most highly processed form of soy. Lots of mainstream protein powders are packed with sucralose, aspartame, and crazy artificial colors. No thank you!

Next time you're feeling hangry (which was just added to the dictionary, by the way), snack on a plant-powered protein bar that requires no cooking at all. Homemade no-bake protein bars are one of my favorite ways to simultaneously squash my sweet tooth and calm the hunger beast when that mid-day slump rolls around.

Chicken optional.

No-Bake Cherry Vanilla Protein Bars