Healthy Teacher Tip #1: (birthday cakepops are not a food group).Homemade protein bars can fight off temptation.

Tip #1: Snacks that won't blow your diet, but will help you pass on the birthday treats and other teacher's lounge goodies.

Right now I am loving Jamie Eason's protein bars. They are a breeze to make and my own children love them. I've added the recipes for the lemon, chocolate, and pumpkin below, along with the link to these and her other recipes. If you get a chance, Google her. One look at her pics and can't help but be motivated to eat healthy. To keep my own kiddos choosing these over other sugary snacks, I often add a couple tablespoons of mini chocolate chips to the chocolate and pumpkin recipes --- still healthier than a lot of the expensive store bought garbage.:)

Chocolate Protein Bars

Calories:  96

Fat:  1.4 grams                                                           

Carbs:  12 grams

Protein: 10 grams

Ingredients:

1 cup Oat Flour

4 Egg Whites

2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

½ cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal

½ tsp Baking Soda

¼ tsp Salt

8oz Berry flavored Baby Food

3 tbsp Baking Cocoa

4oz Water

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Mix dry ingredients (oat flower, vanilla whey protein, baking soda, salt, baking cocoa) together in a large bowl.

3.       Mix wet ingredients (egg whites, Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal, Berry flavored Baby Food,Water) together in a medium sized bowl.

4.       Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.

5.       Spray cooking dish with a non stick butter spray and add batter to dish.

6.       Bake 20-30 minutes in oven.

Makes 16 squares, serving size=2 bars.

Lemon Protein Bars

Calories: 86
Fat: 1 gram                                                               
Carbs: 10 grams
Protein: 9 grams

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 qt mix Crystal Light (preferably without aspartame)
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal
• 8 oz baby food applesauce
• 4 oz water

Directions:

1.                Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.                Mix oat flour, vanilla whey protein, salt, baking soda and crystal light, in large bowl.

3.                Mix egg whites, Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal, applesauce and water in a bowl.

4.                Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.

5.                Spray 8x8 glass pyrex dish with non-stick butter spray.

6.                Pour ingredients into dish.

7.                Bake 23 minutes.

Makes 16 squares, 2 squares per serving.

Pumpkin Protein Bars          Ingredients:

½ C Xylitol Brown Sugar Blend (Ideal)  (I have used regular Truvia and they were fine.)

1- 4 oz. jar baby food applesauce

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. ground ginger                                   

½ tsp. ground clove

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 large egg whites

1- 15 oz. can of raw pumpkin

2 C oat flour

2 scoops vanilla whey protein

½ cup almond milk

½ C chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.

Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.

Add the final 3 ingredients (4, if adding walnuts), and mix until incorporated.

Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and back for 30 min.

Makes 24 squares.

Nutrition (without walnuts): 1 square = 47 calories, .7 g fat, 8 g carbs, 3.7 g protein

Nutrition (with walnuts): 1 square = 63 calories, 2.3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 4 g protein

*All recipes and photos were taken from Bodybuilding.com. Check out the link to some of her other recipes: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-recipes-main-page.html