Snack: Pumpkin Apple Protein Bars

Freeze these bars in individual snack size bags and grab one on your way to the gym to have as a snack after a good workout! Be sure to use canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling which has extra sugar added to it.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Apples

Health benefits of Pumpkin Apple Protein Bars

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 apple, peeled and grated (use the large hole on grater)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond meal (almond flour)
1 scoop reduced-carb vanilla protein powder (18 g protein per scoop)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg whites, vanilla, Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, pumpkin, applesauce and grated apple.
In another medium bowl, mix together oats, almond meal, protein powder, cinnamon and baking powder.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until blended.
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
Let cool before cutting and serving.