Jackson (my husband/significant other/lifelong running buddy) has faithfully eaten a chocolate chip Clif bar each morning for the past five or so years. Recently, he’s been known to occasionally switch to the pomegranate chia flavor, but for the most part, he sticks to old reliable.
Now, I’ve seen this guy complete the Trifecta more than once. The trifecta was one of our many brilliant ideas we had in college. Back then, it involved the consumption of an entire Meijer four meat frozen pizza, followed by a pint of Ben and Jerry’s (usually chocolate fudge brownie), polished off with a full bowl of popcorn. We would watch in fascination as the 135-pound Jackson would once again conquer over the Trifecta. Granted, this usually followed long runs, but not always.
The point is, this guy can eat. But it’s a completely different story when it comes to his morning Clif bar. I typically finish mine in approximately 3-4 bites, leaving me with a sad empty wrapper and only slightly subdued hunger. Jackson literally takes hours to finish a single Clif bar. He’ll go off to lunch and still have some of his Clif bar to finish.
Sometimes, he doesn’t even end up finishing it. When I take his car to work, I am guaranteed to find dozens of half-eaten Clif bars lying around. But I’m not supposed to throw them away. According to Jackson, they are still perfectly good for another day’s breakfast.
So his relationship with Clif bars is a source of constant amusement for me. Every once and awhile, I love the unexpected Clif bar. They are great pre-race food, have a decent amount of protein and good-for-you ingredients, and are slightly more filling than the average bar. And I love how easy they are. You just take one out of the box and magically, you have breakfast! This must be how poptart eaters feel.
But since I always feel better physically and morally when I venture down the path of the less processed, I prefer to make my own bars. They are super easy to make, delicious, and full of wonderfully nutritious things. Plus, they’re gluten-free, vegan, no-bake, and have no added sugar. It sounds like all those things would add up to something kind of gross, but surprisingly enough the result is actually super tasty!
So if you’re looking for something to break up that daily Clif bar routine, give these no-bake almond energy bars a try. For more almond-y ideas, check out the Top 10 Foods for Runners series, specifically the nut (almond) butter section.
No bake almond energy bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup pepitas (no shell pumpkin seeds), chopped
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 3 cups medjool dates, soaked for at least 30 minutes
- 1/2 cup almond butter
Instructions
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In a large pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients except dates and almond butter. Stir often until mixture is fragrant.
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Remove pits from dates and transfer dates to a food processor. Pulse until the dares are smooth, creamy, and lighter in color.
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In a medium bowl, combine dates and almond butter. Mix until smooth. Transfer nut/oat/quinoa mix to a large bowl.
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Pour date mixture into dry mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour into a 13x9 pan and press down, spreading mixture to the corners of the pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour then slice into 15 bars. Keep refrigerated or frozen until ready to eat.
