Black Forest Protein Bars
What’s up, friends! It’s been a minute since I’ve posted here. Today we’re going to talk about a hot topic in the plant-based community: protein. Protein is super important for us, but do you know why? Protein has a variety of jobs in our body from immune response to transporters for nutrients to building not only our muscles, but also our nails, hair, and cartilage(1). When you don’t eat meat, you can still get adequate protein intake from plants, but you must consider a few factors when choosing your protein. Today we’ll learn what those factors are and how to tackle them.
Factor #1: Most plant-based proteins are not complete proteins(2). What does that mean? Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are like little building blocks. There are 9 amino acids that our body must get from the food that we eat because our body can’t make them. We call those essential amino acids. Most plant-derived proteins are missing adequate amounts of at least one amino acid. So what can we do about it? It’s simple. We pair two plant foods together that when combined have every amino acid. We call these complimentary proteins. The cool thing about complementary proteins is that you’ve probably eaten a few without even realizing it. Have you ever had rice and beans? Those are complementary. What about Hummus? The main ingredients of hummus – chickpeas and tahini –are complementary, too!
Factor #2: Plant-based proteins have a reduced anabolic effect(3). This means that they do not stimulate the body to make as much muscle as an animal protein would. However, there is good news! Most research shows that the difference between these anabolic effects could be reduced with increased protein intake. What can we do about that? Eat more plant-based protein, of course!
Factor #3: Plant-based proteins tend to have low protein quality scores(3). Protein quality looks at how well our body digests and uses the proteins we consume. Not all plant proteins are created equally, so it’s important that we choose proteins with a higher protein quality score to count towards our protein needs. What scores pretty high? Soy (edamame), pea protein, and chickpeas, to name a few.
So, these are a few of the factors we must consider when making sure we get enough protein on a plant-based diet. Overall, as long as you get enough protein in your diet from a variety of plant sources, you’ll have what you need to stay healthy(4). Now let’s get to the fun stuff! I’ve created a tasty protein bar recipe inspired by the black forest cake my mother used to make for me as a kid. This recipe combines chocolate pea protein with chickpeas, maraschino cherries, chia seeds, and chocolate chips. The chia seeds add a nice crunch, and the cherries add a sweetness that pairs perfectly with the chocolate! Fun Fact: the chia seeds and chickpeas are complementary proteins! You’re sure to love these black forest protein bars!
Note: This post is for my NUTR 619 class at Winthrop University :) Scroll down past the references for the recipe!
References
1. Stepnick GSA, Smith JL, Carr TP. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning; 2017. https://reader.yuzu.com/reader/books/9781337514217/pageid/228. Accessed 2022.
2. Langyan S, Yadava P, Khan FN, Dar ZA, Singh R, Kumar A. Sustaining protein nutrition through plant-based foods. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022;8. doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.772573
3. Berrazaga I, Micard V, Gueugneau M, Walrand S. The role of the anabolic properties of plant- versus animal-based protein sources in supporting Muscle Mass Maintenance: A critical review. Nutrients. 2019;11(8):1825. doi:10.3390/nu11081825
4. Mariotti F, Gardner C. Dietary protein and amino acids in vegetarian diets—a review. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2661. doi:10.3390/nu11112661
Black Forest Protein Bars
Ingredients
15 oz can chickpeas
75 g chocolate protein powder (I used Evolution Nutrition)
1/4 cup oat milk
1/4 cup agave
3 1/2 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
splash of vanilla extract
10 maraschino cherries
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp chocolate chips melted for drizzle (optional)
unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Drain chickpeas and rinse thoroughly. Add to food processor.
Add remaining ingredients except maraschino cherries, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes to food processor. Mix until a dough forms.
Transfer dough to a mixing bowl.
Dice maraschino cherries and add to mixing bowl along with chocolate chips.
Fold the cherries and chocolate chips into the dough.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9 inch square pan. Place dough into pan on top of parchment paper. Press dough with spatula to flatten and fit the shape of the pan.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until firm. Cool in fridge overnight and then cut into 8 to 10 even bars.
Drizzle melted chocolate chips and coconut flakes over bars.
Note: For storage, wrap individually in wax or parchment paper and store in the freezer in an air tight container or freezer bag until ready to eat. Fold nuts into batter for added protein. Fresh cherries can be substituted for the maraschino cherries. Make sure to remove the pits! Black beans could be substituted for the chickpeas.
