This banana walnut bar isn’t just a tasty snack, it’s a great way to fuel a high intensity workout with natural, whole foods. 
Yesterday I did my ‘crossfit-ish ‘ workout. Our metabolic conditioning included lots of shoulder strengthening exercises. I could never have completed the bouts of exercise without proper fuel, I mean carbohydrate. I ‘m not a fan of the trendy train low regimen that would require me to perform heavy exercise training bouts after skipping a meal (or meals) to reduce carbohydrate availability with the hope of training my muscles to more readily use fat as a substrate. I don’t see it as practical; I eat carbs to maintain my training intensity and get the most out of my time spent in the gym. I don’t deny that both dietary protein and fat can provide necessary energy to perform physical activity, but carbohydrate is the macronutrient most efficiently metabolized by the body and the only one that can be broken down fast enough to provide energy during high -intensity exercise when fast -twitch muscle fibers are primarily relied upon. Furthermore, carbs enhance my mood, reduce my perception of fatigue, and boost my level of focus to complete physical activity in a way that does not compromise technique (important to to avoid unnecessary injury.)
Let’s face it, trusting the advice of someone pushing carbs is hard. It’s opposite of the more prevalent message about limiting carbohydrates for health reasons in the physically inactive population. Sadly, we have lost sight of the fact that athletes need high carbohydrate foods to enhance muscle glycogen and deliver carbohydrates to the muscle during exercise. If you are a couch potato, go the low carb way. If you are active and performing high intensity training bouts, you can benefit from carbohydrates!
Today’s recipe for Banana Walnut Bars, is one of my pre-workout, high carbohydrate snacks. It’s food that’s rapidly absorbed and provides my muscles with energy to maintain performance. Each bar provides 190 calories, with a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein. It’s low in fat so it is digested rapidly. Not only is it energy food, it’s delicious. I used quick cooking oats to add some bulk without making the bars too dense. Buttermilk keeps the bars moist and the subtle tang balances the sweetness of an overripe banana. Walnut oil also helps with the bars moistness and it’s the ingredient you need for a deeper nut flavor than with walnuts alone.
Boost your exercise intensity with a delicious Banana Walnut bar.
Banana Walnut Snack Bars
Tasty banana walnut snack bar is a perfect way to fuel a high-intensity workout.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 8
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup 1% fat buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon walnut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine four and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a mixing bowl.
- Place banana in a small bowl. Mash with a fork until smooth. Add sugar and next 4ingredients (through egg white); stir to combine. Add to flour mixture stirring to combine. Stir in nuts.
- Spread dough into an 8 x8 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 8 bars.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 12 grams
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 6 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.76
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 5 grams
- Cholesterol: 0
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