Fiber is one component in the diet that some people find very difficult to increase in their diet. I see many people on a daily basis and they often complain about having a hard time moving their bowels (the second you tell someone your a dietitian, they always start telling you about their bowels…. you get used to it).
The main component to increase your fiber? Beans, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains (and QuestBars haha). Fiber is a form of carbohydrate that does not get absorbed by the GI system. Along with increasing stool bulk, it can also help lower cholesterol and glucose levels. For men, the recommended amount is 38 grams, for women the goal is 25 grams (under the age of 50).
In the beginning of the year, I started to track my macro nutrients because I was finally ready to start building some muscle. I quickly realized that some days, I wasn’t even close to meeting my recommended needs of 25 grams (unless I have a questbar), and I’m a dietitian!
Since it is national peanut butter cookie day, I decided to make some protein bars for the week incorporating chickpeas. The best part of this recipe, is that all you need is a blender and an 8×8 baking dish. You can also adjust the protein, sugar, and chips to your liking!
Ingredients
• 1 can of garbanzo beans
• 4 T liquid egg whites
• 4 T liquid egg beaters
• 2 T P28 white chocolate peanut butter
• 1/4 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup stevia
• 1.5 scoops Cellucor PB marshmallow protein powder
• 2 T white chocolate chips
• 2 T peanut butter chips
• pinch salt
• pinch baking powder
Directions
1. Drain and rinse beans. Place in a food processor with eggs and blend well.
2. Add remaining ingredients (except for the chips) and blend again.
3. Stir in chips.
4. Pour batter in a greased 8×8 baking pan.
5. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes until clean with a toothpick.
I made 9 large bars.
Nutrient Breakdown (for 1 bar, whole batch is 9 bars)
Calories: 130
Fat: 4.5 grams
Carbs: 12.5 grams
Fiber: 2.5 grams
Protein: 11 grams
FoodOverFitness 