Making your own protein bars using high fiber ingredients can help lower cholesterol. Foods rich in fiber include oats, almonds, dates, walnuts, raisins and bananas. Fiber binds to the cholesterol in the food you consume together with other fatty acids and bile and gets eliminated via feces, thereby lowering your cholesterol levels. In addition, replacing a meal with a protein bar can help you effectively lose weight. By employing all the methods below, you can easily make high fiber protein bars which can help lower your cholesterol levels.
Step 1
Gather all your ingredients, bowls and utensils together and preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking pan with a non-stick spray. You can use a 9-by-9 inch or 9-by-12 inch pan if you want thicker protein bars.
Step 2
Chop one cup each of almonds, dates, raisins and walnuts in a blender (do not puree). Add the mixture to a bowl filled with 2 cups of dried oats. Stir well until the mixture starts to clump together.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, combine 3 cups of orange juice (freshly squeezed), 6 tbsp. of brown sugar, and one medium sized banana (egg replacement), and puree in a blender. Avoid using eggs since most varieties of eggs are relatively high in cholesterol. Using a banana will prevent the mixture from falling apart.
Step 4
Combine the liquid mixture from Step 3 with the dry mixture from Step 2 into a large bowl and stir well until thick like cookie dough. Add more orange juice if the mixture is too thick.
Step 5
Spread the batter onto the pan using a clean, dry spatula. Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are brown and crisp.
Step 6
Carefully Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes. Cut into 8-12 bars and store in a clean airtight container.
Things You'll Need
- Baking pan
- Blender
- Measuring cup
- Bowls
- Spatula
- Almonds
- Dates
- Raisins
- Walnuts
- Dried oats
- Orange juice
- Brown sugar
References
- “Eating for Lower Cholesterol: A Balanced Approach to Heart Health with Recipes Everyone Will Love,” Catherine Jones and Elaine Trujillo, Publisher: Da Capo Press, October 20, 2005
- “The High-Protein Cookbook: More than 150 healthy and irresistibly good low-carb dishes that can be on the table in thirty minutes or less,” Linda West Eckhardt and Katherine West Defoyd, Publisher: Three Rivers Press, November 14, 2000
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