Tofu Protein Bars

Do not let the title of this post scare you. I was originally going to call it "Banana Protein Bars" since tofu tends to scare people away. Maybe it's because most people are unfamiliar with tofu, or they only know it as the "mushy stuff" in their miso soup? Well, it shouldn't be that way. Tofu is so versatile and takes on the flavor of whatever it's made with. Not too many protein foods have that talent. Tofu shouldn't be the "secret" or "hidden" ingredient in a recipe. I know in the past I wouldn't tell anyone that I made something with tofu in fear that they might not try it. Take it or leave it. These protein bars were made with TOFU and they are freaking delish.

I decided to use tofu because I had some leftover after I made my miso dressing a few days back. I figured it would be a great replacement for something like pumpkin, squash, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc., for a protein bar. After some initial research, I found a random forum that posted a tofu protein bar recipe. They claimed they found it on www.bodybuilding.com, but I couldn't find it on the site. I modified the recipe a bit and came up with this winner:

Tofu Banana Protein Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (6 oz) Light Silken Tofu (I used Naysoya, doesn't have to be "light")
1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I used Isopure Zero Carb Creamy Vanilla)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond)
3 T sugar free banana pudding mix (called for 1 package, but I already used 1 T so I just used what was left)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325. Put everything into a blender and mix really well. Spray a small loaf pan with non-stick spray and pour your batter in.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes.

I let the loaf sit and cool, then sliced it into 4 bars.

Nutrition Facts (One Bar): 111 Calories, 11.5 g CHO, 1.1 g Fiber, 1.8 g Fat, 12.7 g Pro, 0.3 g Sugar

Added Bonus: This bar packs 24% Vitamin A, 28% Calcium, and 17% Iron!!! (Based on the RDA for a 2,000 calorie diet)

And here's my chocolate version:

Chocolate Tofu Protein Bars: Substitute with sugar-free chocolate pudding mix and chocolate protein powder.

The variations are endless!


Random last thought- I've been loving image quotes lately. Short, sweet, and inspirational quotes that are also pretty to look at. Image quote for today: