Nikki Yelton is a Functional Medicine Registered Dietitian Nutritionist serving clients worldwide. She offers a personalized functional medicine approach using advanced labs and her unique 5-phase method. Nikki helps purpose-driven women who have tried everything finally restore their energy and reclaim their health--without another DIY protocol--so they can show up fully in their work and at home!
Boost your protein intake with this delicious snack hack. These double chocolate protein bars are sweet and salty and completely guilt-free!
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Snacking isn’t always a poor habit… Snacking the right way can be a helpful strategic practice.
As a functional medicine nutritionist and RD, I find that incorporating easy snacks that prioritize protein can actually make all the difference in your health, especially when it comes to healing the gut and reversing autoimmunity like Hashimoto’s.
Most people are lacking in the protein department… It can be the most difficult macronutrient to get enough of in your diet!
You should ideally be aiming for 0.8 – 1g of protein per pound of body weight per day to support gut healing. This looks like roughly 120-140g of protein each day for the average woman weighing around 140 pounds.
Prioritizing protein in a few snacks throughout the day is a really simple & effective way to up your protein intake and move the needle towards healing and remission.
I understand however how most snack options are lacking in the protein macronutrient. (Think chips, crackers, granola bars, even healthy snacks like fruit or veggies with dip.)
Plus, the snacks that DO prioritize protein like store-bought protein bars generally contain fillers, preservatives, and low-quality ingredients. And is it just me or do they always have that weird chalky texture?! Not ideal…
That’s why I’m coming at ya today with an easy solution…
Did you know it’s actually REALLY simple to make homemade protein snacks?!
Don’t be intimidated! You don’t need to be a skilled baker or commit hours of your time to make high-quality snacks with good ingredients and the right kind of protein easily from your home.
For example, these double chocolate protein bars taste delicious, contain clean ingredients, and take only 30 minutes to make!
I also recommend using hydrolyzed beef protein for this recipe or any bar recipe, which makes these bars a gut-health powerhouse.
The protein brand I recommend for this recipe is Prime Protein from Equip. They have many flavors but I suggest the chocolate!It checks all my boxes for purity. It has the RIGHT kind of stevia in a small amount, natural flavors that can be traced, it’s heavy metal tested, and contains 21g of bioavailable protein from grass-fed beef.
High quality animal proteins like hydrolyzed beef are the most nutrient dense and bioavailable sources of protein.
This is why animal protein is the go-to source of protein for gut or autoimmune goals… It has the amino acid composition that helps gut tissues and cells HEAL.
Plant protein lacks the healing amino acids and muscle building proteins found in animal products. It isn’t as simple as comparing gram to gram of plant protein vs. animal protein when it comes to composition.
Animal protein specifically provides the building blocks for every cell in the body.
Its benefits run far and wide and because it’s the foundation for every organ system (especially the gut), animal protein intake is a major factor in healing your body from gut imbalances, autoimmune conditions, and other chronic issues.
Quality animal protein is absolutely essential in:
Supporting healthy tissue repair
Healing gut wall integrity and speeding up the heal + seal response
Supporting digestion by activating key enzymes
Regulating stomach acid balance in the gut
Keeping blood sugar stable
Nourishing adrenals
Supporting a healthy metabolism
Enhancing the livers natural detoxification process
Check out how to make my favorite Double Chocolate Protein Bars below and start upping that daily protein! ⬇️
Boost your protein intake with this delicious snack hack. These double chocolate protein bars are sweet and salty and completely guilt-free!
Ingredients
Scale
1/16 oz Avocado Oil Spray
1/2 cup Chocolate Protein Powder
1 cup Egg Whites
2 tbsps Coconut Flour
2 tbsps Unsweetened Almond Milk
1/4 cup Pitted Dates
2 oz Dark Chocolate
3 tbsps Hemp Seeds
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with the avocado oil.
Add the protein powder, egg whites, coconut flour, almond milk, and dates to a blender or food processor. Blend until just smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure the oven is preheated before baking.
Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the loaf pan and onto a cooling rack. Cool for at least 10 minutes to ensure they hold together.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in 30-second intervals in the microwave.
Cut the bars and drizzle the chocolate over top. Sprinkle the hemp hearts on the bars and enjoy
Notes
Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to seven days.
Serving Size: One serving is one bar. One loaf pan yields four servings.
More Flavor: Add peppermint extract to the batter for a chocolate peppermint flavor.
Avocado Oil Spray: One gram (or 1/16 oz) of avocado oil spray is equal to a one-second spray.
Protein Powder: This recipe was developed and tested using a plant-based protein powder. A whey protein powder would likely still work; however, cook times may vary slightly.
Coconut Flour: This recipe was tested using Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour. If using a different coconut flour, results my vary slightly.
I highly encourage you to start incorporating high-quality animal protein snacks into your daily diet so that you can make sure you are getting enough of this essential macronutrient!
This Double Chocolate Protein Bar recipe is a great one to have in your recipe rotation because it’s delicious, balanced, and so easy to make. Batch a bunch, and you’ll have them for weeks!
"When it comes to balancing our body, healing the gut, reversing autoimmunity, and achieving optimal health—we are a lot like a car that won’t run right. In order to fix the problem once and for all instead of relying on jumper cables, we must get underneath the hood, run the diagnostics, and replace the battery so that it runs good as new."
-Nikki Yelton, RD
a note from nikki:
If you are ready to stop wasting precious time, get off the never-ending hamster wheel, and finally surrender trying to figure things out on your own—this is your moment.
You don’t have to settle for just getting by and hoping tomorrow is a better day. We both know you are a woman who deserves better and are made for so. much. more.
are you ready?
Ready to restore your energy, reclaim your health, and live your extraordinary life?
