As a distance runner, I struggle with how to keep my body fueled while running. I use HoneyStinger chews and waffles often, and in a pinch, will use things like Shot Blox or even GU. Running in a trail event last year introduced me to the concept of eating actual food items on the run to keep fueled. But, what choices to make? While things like pb&j sandwiches provide protein and carbs, do they also provide potassium and sodium necessary for muscle function? What other things could I eat that would be beneficial on long runs? And be easy to consume? And be yummy?
A video posted by Runners World showed how to make DIY energy bars. “I’m a good cook,” I thought to myself. “I can do something like this.” So, thus morning, I scribbled down the Runners World recipe, and then made it my own. Here’s what I came up with:
Easy Energy Bars
Make sure you read “Tweaks” below before making these!
DRY:
2c oats
1c shredded coconut (the stuff I had was finely shredded)
½c each sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, almonds
½c dried cherries
½c raisins
Ginger, peeled (I used a piece of ginger that was approximately 6″ long)
WET:
1½c almond butter
1c honey
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350º.
Take a cookie sheet, and grease it using no-stick spray or your preferred method. I used no-stick spray.
I put the nuts through a chopper so that they were finely chopped. Like, finely fine. This is so that I didn’t have to contend with chomping on some piece of nut while running. I also did this with the cherries and raisins.
I then did the same to the ginger after peeling it.
In a large bowl, mix the oats, coconut, nuts, fruit and ginger together until evenly mixed.
In another bowl, combine the almond butter and honey. Microwave for one minute to thin this out (it mixes more easily this way). Once out of the microwave, add the vanilla, and stir until evenly mixed.
Combine this with the oat mixture until evenly mixed.
Spread this mixture evenly on your cookie sheet. You can make this as thick or thin you want. Mine turned out roughly ½” thick, and covered nearly the whole sheet.
Bake this at 350º for 15 minutes, then take out and let cool. Once cool, cut into sections of your own choosing. Mine were around 2″x2″ each. I then wrapped each piece in plastic wrap. (Environmental tip! Dispose of the wrapping properly! If there’s not a trash can around, stick the small ball of plastic wrap in your pocket until you find a trash can. Don’t be a dick.)
Nutrition information? Don’t ask. I’m too lazy to crunch the numbers. I would probably eat a piece every forty-five minutes or so.
Yield: Roughly twenty pieces, give or take, depending how you cut them up.
Tweaks:
I used a bunch of nuts. You don’t have to. You don’t have to use the same ones I did, either. Want cashews? Go wild! Brazil nuts? Use your imagination. I still recommend finely chopping them though for easy processing on the run.
You can use other fruit, too. Banana would add an extra boost of potassium, for example
You can use peanut butter instead of almond butter; the Runners World recipe also mentioned tahini paste as an option.
Enjoy!
ineffective coping 