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MP Energy Bar

GSAstuto

Maximum Pace
Oct 11, 2009
974
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OK - since I've gotten more inquires about my <in>famous multi-purpose energy bar, here's my basic recipe ingredients.

Dry Stuff
- Oats mainly.
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Any other dry, bark or leafy type of thing
- Nestle Boost

Wet Stuff
- Coconut Oil
- Oliosacharide
- Acai and Guarana Smoothy Mix (frozen)

Moist and Sticky Stuff
-Nutella
- Dates
- Figs
- Banana
- Raisins
- Kiwi
- Any other sticky semi-dried fruit

Spices
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Nutmeg
- Ginger

Supplementals
- High 5 Energy Source powder (less protein)
- High 5 Recovery Powder (more protein)
- Micronized creatine
- Beet Root powder
- Whey protein (more protein)
- Natural salts mix (sodium, potassium chloride)

Basically you want about an equal mix of Dry, Wet, Sticky. If the result is too moist then just add more dry stuff. Also try to balance out the carbs and proteins so you are hitting about 5:1 Carbs to Protein. Nuts and seeds and stuff have a fair amount of protein, so, if anything it will be pretty hard to actually overload on the carbs since most is derived from the fruit sugars here. And to some degree the oliosaccharides.

I don't use ALL this at any one time - but usually mix a few different versions together based on my tastes of the day.

Try making a more neutral, savory version, too! Just cut out the fruits and use the oliosaccharides as your carb source. It is not so sweet to the taste - so it makes a good savory addition. Same with the raw acai juice or mix. It isn't sweet at all - so you can add it for a different flavor.

Ok - then - next I combine everything into a food processor and mash it up. Then I slow bake (<100c) for about 20min or so - just enough to heat the mix long enough to get everything to kinda melt together.

Then - let it cool and place in the refrigerator. After it's hardened you can cut it into whatever shape you want.

Bear in mind there are no preservatives in this product so it will get stale, mold or potentially grow something. After all it is really a super medium for bio growth - so don't let it sit around at room temp for days, then eat it! However, I've had no issues with keeping them in the freezer, then packing along for all day or even multi-day rides.

Some secret tips:

1) You can get all natural Muesli and Oats at JOMO Super. It pops in and out of their stores - but I'm snagging it for about 598yen / 1kg (Oats) and 598yen / 500gr (Muesli). About a third of the price of COSTCO here in Japan, by the way!

2) Cocoanut Oil is hard to find here. I get mine on Amazon. It's sold as bath soap oil. Don't worry - it's food grade! Why coconut oil? Cause it's super rich in MCT's which the body will use as available energy source.

3) Oliosaccharide can also be purchased at JOMO and many other supermarkets. Get the artichoke derived if you can - or even better the, Apple version. But , at the end of the day, it doesn't matter too much. Just get it. If you want a more natural approach, then boil a combination of carrots and beets until you basically have syrup. That's pretty much oliosaccharide right there. Good luck getting beets in Japan, though.

4) Beet Juice is an amazing sports supplement. Just bite the bullet and buy some from Amazon (com, not jp). I get the micronized powder which is highly concentrated.You should be drinking this every day anyway, if you're training or riding hard.

5) I'm getting my dates, figs and other goodies at a local (Okubo) Halal store. It will help your counter cost if you at least give them an 'a salaam alaikum' when you enter the store, btw.

OK - that's it! Couldn't be easier and your total cost will be roughly 700yen /kg . Looking at the going price for Cliff Bars -these homemade versions will cost you about half or less depending on your raw materials purchase qty. and if you use any 'top shelf' supplements or other goodies.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a nutritionist, dietician, coach or pretend to be. This recipe is presented simply as an example of various ingredients that may or not be used in making a high carbohydrate supplemented food bar. Use this at your own risk! As always , if you have food allergies or sensitivities, then it's probably a good idea to consult with a licensed doctor, or other healthcare worker BEFORE embarking on your own kitchen experiments.
 
Thanks for taking the time and effort to post this Tim. Very much appreciate it. And thanks for saying where different ingredients can be found. I often find the most difficult part trying to find the damn things here in Japan. When I have a little time I think I'll give some of these a go.
 
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