Peanut Butter Cereal Bars are easy to make and require no baking.
I love energy bars, but most store-bought varieties are too expensive for me, too sweet, or they leave an aftertaste. I thought I could do better, and I came up with these delicious no-bake Peanut Butter Cereal Bars that are packed with protein and fiber.
No-Bake Healthy Snacks that are Budget-Friendly
These bars are delicious, and one of the best parts is that you don’t have to bake them! Peanut butter and maple syrup (or honey) hold the bars together and makes them moist and chewy.
I wanted this recipe to be cost-effective and I chose peanut butter because it’s the least expensive type of nut butter.
Chunky peanut butter provides extra crunch in this recipe. If you don’t have chunky peanut butter, use creamy and add 1/3 cup chopped peanuts.
Honey is often less expensive than 100% pure maple syrup, but it’s not a vegan ingredient. Maple syrup works just as well as a sweetener and to hold the other ingredients together.
Raisins supply sweetness without added sugar, and they are likely to be the least costly dried fruit, and even less when you buy store brands. (Learn how to cut back on sugar here.)
If you substitute a higher-fiber whole grain ready-to-eat cereal for Cheerios, the cost to make the peanut butter cereal bars may be higher, and the calorie count could increase.
How to Make Vegan Energy Bars
You have a choice to help hold these bars together: honey or maple syrup. I don’t have a preference, but if you want a vegan version, use maple syrup. Pure maple syrup can be pricey, and since you really don’t taste it in the recipe, use whatever brand you can afford.
Each bar supplies 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber!
How to Make Nut-Free, Gluten-Free Energy Bars
Yes, the basis of these energy bars is peanut butter, but you can make them nut-free by using sunflower seed butter, soy nut butter, or sesame seed butter.
Cheerios are gluten-free. Be sure to choose certified gluten-free oats to be sure that you are buying a gluten-free product.
Peanut Butter Cereal Bars have just five relatively low-cost ingredients.
Need a chocolate fix? Toss 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips into the bar mixture. Mini chips better distribute the chocolate flavor, so you use can use less of them!
Use maple syrup instead of honey to make these gluten-free Peanut Butter Cereal Bars vegan.
Serving suggestion: Pair with eight ounces of dairy milk or a carton of Greek yogurt and a banana. You’ll get a serving each of fruit, dairy, and whole grains, as well as at least 20 grams of protein, the minimum amount of protein you should have at every meal.
Cereal is a delicious, nutritious food that offers a big bang for the buck. Ready-to-eat cereal with dairy milk provides a bowl of nutrients for an average of 50 cents a serving on average! Cereal is for more than pouring into a bowl and dousing with milk, however. You can eat it any time of day and in many ways. Check out what to make with cereal – you’ll be surprised at how creative my dietitian friends are!
Why cereal is a healthy choice for family meals
Whether it’s whole grain, or refined, cereal supplies energy-producing carbohydrate. In addition, it can be a source of other nutrients that often go missing in the diet.
Whole grain choices offer the most fiber, vitamin E, and selenium, but they are not usually enriched.
Refined grains are missing one or more of their three key parts – the bran, the germ, or the endosperm. Refining a grain results in some nutrient loss. However, most refined grains are enriched.
Enriched grains contain additional B vitamins, including folic acid, and the mineral iron. Iron and folic acid don’t occur naturally in significant amounts in whole grains, but they are welcome additions to refined grains, especially cereal.
Health experts recommend that women in their childbearing years get adequate folic acid every day. Adequate folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects during the first month of pregnancy. A serving of enriched cereal can provide as much as 100% of the Daily Value for folic acid.
The added iron in enriched cereal is a good source of this nutrient. Iron is needed to prevent iron deficiency anemia, which can result in long lasting fatigue, and other health problems.
You may be surprised to hear that grains of all kinds, including cereal, can be good for your waistline. An eating pattern that includes higher amounts of a variety of grains is associated with a healthier body weight.
Choose cereals with the least added sugar, which contributes additional calories. Save sugar-laden cereals for a treat, not an everyday food.
Since I think cereal is good any time of day, I’ve divided up the delicious healthy recipes with cereal into two groups: sweet and savory. Enjoy them at any meal, or for a snack!
Confession: My idea of meal prep is making a double batch of chili. I know that I should prepare more food on Saturdays and Sundays for the week ahead, but I can’t get myself to devote the time to that task, however worthy. I am good at stocking my kitchen with nutritious foods and making healthy meals and snacks, so I figure I’m doing something right. Still, getting advice from a pro about what to do when you fail at meal prep couldn’t hurt.
Why Should I Meal-Prep?
In my quest to improve my meal prep skills, I headed for Toby Amidor’s latest creation, The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook. Not only does this registered dietitian/nutritionist and working single mother of three prepare delicious and nutritious food ahead of time, she found the energy to write about it so that we can, too.
According to Toby, you (and I) should invest in meal prep because it saves time and money; it’s easier to control portions, which helps promote weight control; and you’ll avoid take-out food and processed products to get a meal on the table fast.
If you’ve never prepped meals before or want to be better at it, you can’t go wrong with The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook. There are more than 100 recipes to choose from, designed with simple-to-find ingredients, including Apple Walnut Loaf, Slow-Cooker Three Bean Chili, Arugula Salad with Salmon, and Mason Jar Key Lime Parfaits.
Have I mentioned the two-week meal plans for those interested in Clean Eating, Weight Loss, and Muscle Building? You’ll have no excuse not to shop for nutritious foods when you see Toby’s detailed ingredient lists to make following these plans a breeze.
Now, that’s some kind of meal prep! Doesn’t this look delicious? (Photo courtesy of Nat & Cody Gantz)
Don’t let these meal prep myths hold you back from trying to do better!
Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes
Even if don’t completely embrace meal prep, nobody’s stopping you from enjoying Toby’s delicious recipes. That’s what I do! I’ve read The Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook, nodding my head in agreement at what Toby recommends, but the fact remains that while I like the idea of having meals ready to eat at a moment’s notice, I prefer more flexibility at meal time. (Read: I am in no way as organized as Toby.)
I have been feeding a family of five for years, so I do have some kitchen skills, which I allude to at the beginning of this post. I mostly know what I’m making during the week, and I shop regularly for food so I always have nutritious ingredients on hand.
17 Meals You Can Make in Less Than 5 Minutes
Here are some of my favorite “fast food” ideas.
Breakfast/Snack
• Top a 2-ounce whole-wheat bagel with 2 tablespoons peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter. Serve with 8 ounces 1% low-fat milk or fortified soy milk, and fruit.
• Spread 2 slices whole grain bread with 2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter, and top with 1 small banana, sliced, or 2 tablespoons raisins.
• Scramble 2 eggs and divide equally between a small whole-wheat pita pocket that’s been cut in half. Add salsa, a handful of spinach, and 1⁄4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese, if desired. Pair with 8 ounces milk or fortified soy milk.
• Scramble 2 eggs with 1⁄4 cup diced mushrooms, and 1⁄4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Serve with 2 slices whole-wheat toast, and fruit.
• Pair 1 hard-cooked egg with 8 ounces low-fat yogurt, 1 slice whole-grain toast, and fruit.
• Halve a cantaloupe or honeydew melon, remove the seeds, and fill with 1 cup cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt. Serve with a whole wheat roll.
Lunch/Dinner
• Microwave a medium white potato. Scoop out the insides and mix with 1 cup cottage cheese. Return the filling to the potato skins and warm in the microwave. Add a green salad.
• Top 1 whole-wheat pita round covered with tomato sauce with sliced part-skim mozzarella cheese. Broil until cheese melts. Serve with 8 ounces 100% orange juice.
• Make a quick quesadilla using two whole-wheat 7-inch sandwich wraps, 2 ounces chopped leftover chicken, and 1 ounce Monterey Jack cheese. Grill in a skillet. Enjoy with fruit.
• In a bowl, layer 1 cup cooked whole-grain couscous, 1 cup cooked vegetables, and 4 ounces cooked leftover salmon, or canned or pouched salmon.
• Arrange 4 ounces canned or pouched, drained tuna, 10 whole-grain crackers, and sliced red bell pepper, and enjoy.
My go-to fish meal: breaded haddock topped with a can of undrained chopped tomatoes and dried parsley with vegetables and whole grain bread. That’s dinner!
• Mix 1 cup canned reduced-sodium lentil soup and 1 cup cooked pasta or other leftover cooked grain such as farro, brown rice, freekeh, or quinoa. Serve with 8 ounces milk or fortified soy milk and fruit.
• Combine 1 cup canned white beans, drained, with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 4 ounces peeled and raw shrimp in a skillet. Cook until shrimp are pink. Serve with fruit or vegetables.
• Saute 1⁄2 pound 100% ground skinless turkey breast meat or 95% lean ground beef with chopped onions and 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin. Spoon cooked meat equally onto 2 whole-wheat tortillas along with chopped tomato, lettuce, and plain yogurt. (This dish serves two.) Serve with fruit or vegetables.
• Coat 4 ounces thinly sliced chicken breasts or tenders with flour. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for about two minutes on each side. Place chicken on a whole-wheat sandwich bun and garnish with tomato and lettuce, and avocado, if desired. Serve with 8 ounces milk and a piece of fruit.
• Quick fried rice: Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a medium skillet. Add 1 cup cold cooked white or brown rice, 1⁄4 cup chopped onion, 1⁄4 cup cooked peas or diced carrots or both, and 2 beaten eggs. Toss the entire mixture until the egg is cooked. Season with a dash of low-sodium soy sauce. Serve with fresh fruit.
• Place 4 ounces cooked shrimp, canned or pouch tuna, cooked or pouch salmon, cottage cheese, or tofu, on top of 2 cups chopped leafy greens and 1⁄2 cup grape tomatoes. Top with a mixture of 2 teaspoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with whole-grain bread or roll.
Whether or not you plan your meals out to the last green bean, it’s a good idea to have nutritious foods on hand to rustle up healthy meals and snacks in minutes. Here’s a list that you can tailor to your needs.
A few must-have items from my refrigerator.
Refrigerator/Freezer Items
• Eggs
• Plain yogurt, Greek or regular
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Grated hard cheese, such as cheddar and Monterey Jack
Looking for an easier way to to control your weight? Whole grains could be a game changer, according to findings from a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Simply swapping refined grains (white bread, white rice, and pretzels, etc.) for 100% whole grains encourages the body to burn calories and boost your metabolism. Jackpot!
More Whole Grains: A Step in the Right Direction
Here’s what’s so exciting about this study.
The group of men and women in the study who replaced refined grains with whole grains took up fewer calories from the food they ate, and burned more calories without exercising more. Those losses amounted to about 100 calories a day compared to the group who ate refined grains.
A consistent intake of whole grains could help head off unhealthy weight gain that tends to occur with age. While weight control isn’t a precise science, swapping 100% whole grains for the refined kind could add up to a “savings” of 36,500 calories a year, or the equivalent of about 10 pounds – as long as you don’t increase calorie intake or decrease physical activity. Balanced diets rich in whole grains also help reduce the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, too, which is nothing to sneeze at!
How to Get More Whole Grains
Whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, and brown rice, contain the entire grain kernel. Whole grains are naturally high in fiber, phytonutrients (beneficial plant compounds) and other nutrients.
Experts suggest making half of the grains you eat whole grains, for a minimum of three servings of whole grains daily. A portion is 1-ounce slice of bread, 1/2 cup cooked grain, or about 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal.
OK, so you’re not totally on board with whole grains, but it may be easier, and more delicious, than you think to get the whole grains you need. Here’s how to work more whole grains into your eating plan:
• Have oatmeal (I make oats with dairy milk for the calcium, vitamin D, and protein it provides) or a whole grain ready-to-eat cereal such as plain Cheerios or the store brand equivalent with milk and fruit for breakfast, or as a snack.
• Add 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal to your favorite fruit smoothie recipe.
• Substitute 3/4 cup 100% whole wheat flour for all-purpose white flour in recipes for pancakes, muffins, and quick breads.
• Swap white bread for 100% whole grain bread. Make sure you see the words whole wheat, oatmeal, or whole oats as one of the first terms in the ingredient list.
• Experiment with whole grains such as farro, freekeh, quinoa, millet, teff, and whole grain barley as side dishes. Make extra whole grains and add to soups, stews, casseroles, and salads.
• Switch to whole grain cornmeal when making muffins, cornbread, and polenta.
• Make your own trail mix using 1/2 cup whole grain cereal, dried fruit, and nuts.
• Enjoy whole grain crackers instead of highly refined white versions, and whole wheat English muffins instead of a plain bagel.
• Munch on popcorn instead of pretzels or snack chips. Popcorn is a whole grain!
• On pizza night, opt for prepared whole wheat crust or whole wheat pizza dough.
For the most part, dietitians practice what they preach. However, nobody eats perfectly all the time, not even the experts dishing out dietary advice, including yours truly. (Shocker!) I thought it would be fun to read about dietitans’ eating downfalls, since they love to eat and are just as busy as everyone else. I can relate to each and every one of these!
I wish I had a few less potato chips in my life! I love a good potato chip.
Those salty little fried potato slices are so darn good and somehow make their way onto my plate on a very regular basis, especially when I am eating a sandwich.
I don’t feel I have to give up all the chips in my life, but I know fried salty foods are probably not the best for my heart health. I do try to switch it up and add popcorn, baked tortilla chips or reduced fat potato chips to reduce my fat intake in an effort to be a little more healthy.
Because I associate chips with eating sandwiches, I find I am less inclined to eat them when I have a salad or leftovers at meal time, so including these other meals helps lower my chip intake too.
My 90 year-old mom loved a good potato chip…so I am hopeful that I can enjoy a long life while still enjoying my beloved potato chips…at least occasionally!
I’m the fastest eater and I’m always leaning over my counter quickly eating between clients or before driving my kids around in the evening. I am not a mindful eater and I know it’s something I really need to improve. Much easier said than done for a very busy working mom. However, I am trying to eat at the table more, put away my phone and avoid distractions.
Small changes are my goal. I’m really trying to practice what I preach to my clients every day!
Having spent the better part of my career counseling athletes, I am the first one to say that hydration never takes a vacation. But what we preach doesn’t always translate to what we reach for. And, I admit I don’t get a perfect score for my pour.
I am doing a lot of writing these days and don’t work up a sweat. In addition, I hate to be interrupted when ideas are flowing to have to get going to the bathroom. However, I am committing to hydrating better throughout the day through the number of glasses of liquid, watery foods, and more fruits and vegetables.
In the last year or so I noticed that my “one” glass of wine while cooking dinner turned into one glass while cooking, then topping it off a little if the recipe takes a little longer and then topping that off as I went to the table to eat dinner with my family. I’m a dietitian, not a mathematician but even I know my “one” has quickly turned into 1++.
I’ve made a concerted effort this year to let “one” glass be one glass. While health experts (and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans) agree that one glass for women and two for men can be a part of a healthy diet, night after night of more than that means extra calories that I don’t need.
I started the New Year with this new commitment to cut back on my 1++ glass of wine and have already noticed improvements in sleep. That’s a bonus I wasn’t expecting, but am definitely enjoying!
Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN, Culinary Nutrition Expert and founder of Nutritioulicious:
One of my worst habits is eating in front of the TV, especially at night after dinner. I have a major sweet tooth, and when I’m busy during the day it doesn’t hit me, but as soon as I sit down to relax the pantry calls my name!
Eating too much at night can lead to weight gain when I take in more calories than I burn. And it leaves me feeling full before bed, which can interfere with my sleep. I often wake up bloated and less hungry for breakfast, which is such an important meal.
Some of the ways I’m trying to break the habit are to brush my teeth after dinner so I am not tempted to eat again. Also, I watch TV in bed instead of in my living room. I also don’t keep the pantry fully stocked with treats.
I love making chocolate chip cookies but am that person who could be fine just eating the dough. I often nibble on dough while making and baking cookies and by the time the cookies are out of the oven, I’ve already eaten the equivalent of my share of cookies.
After thinking this through (also after a belly ache or two), I have decided that I do love the cookies the most. So, I try to talk myself before even starting the cookie making process. I remind me that I really want to be able to enjoy the warm, baked cookies, and the dough isn’t at worth it.
I want to be more conscious of what I’m eating while making cookies instead of mindlessly picking at the dough.
Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN, CDE, The Guilt-Free RD, www.SoundBitesRD.com (blog and podcast):
I wish I had better breakfast habits. I grew up eating a healthy breakfast every day, but now that I’m a mom, I’m more focused on the morning rush instead of feeding myself. I find I’m not very hungry and tend to grab a little something that is more of a snack or a treat than “breakfast” like a cookie or a piece of fruit. I wish I could enjoy Greek yogurt with high fiber cereal and berries – something that provides the fiber, calcium and nutrients I need to start the day off right.
After work, I am famished, so that after-work/before-dinner time frame is my Achilles heel! I rummage through my fridge and pantry for things to snack on, whether it’s healthy or not. Sometimes, I eat way too many chips and salsa, a few too many cheese sticks, or leftover pizza to satisfy my craving. So, even knowing that eating all of this food before dinner is ruining my appetite for the healthy meal I am about to cook, I just can’t help myself.
To avoid this, I’m working on planning ahead and (more consistently) have foods like jicama sticks, sliced fruit and/or red pepper strips available to snack on before dinner gets started!
When I worked in an office building, I was the poster child of staying hydrated via water daily. I’d take several breaks from my cubicle to fill my water bottle up at the water cooler (cliche but true.) Since working at home, I struggle to do the same!
My home office is on the second floor and I guess there’s just a mental block with me having to walk all downstairs to refill my glass. And, when I do, I get distracted with a chore in the kitchen and forget to bring the glass back up! But I really want to work on this as when I drink at least 8 glasses a day, I feel so much better.
Jen Haugen, RDN, LD, Author of The Mom’s Guide to a Nourishing Garden, and blogger at jenhaugen.com:
My one habit I am working on kicking is not planning meals. I go in and out of phases with this and my weeks go SO much better when I meal plan!
To work on this, I am creating 5-10 freezer meals each month to have ready to go right in the freezer for fast meals. I’ve also set a reminder on my phone for Sunday afternoons to take 10 minutes to put together a menu plan for the week, and I include my family on that so it’s not just what I want to eat 🙂 Taking just 10 minutes to plan creates more satisfying, stress-free meals!
As a working mom in constant motion, I find myself mindlessly eating the first thing I can grab when I feel hunger strike. That may mean a spoon of peanut butter from the jar to my mouth while making a lunch. Or swinging into a gas station to grab an energy bar for “lunch” between meetings.
The main lessons learned from this habit–weight gain, exposing my children to bad habits, and never feeling full and satisfied. My solution of late is to have healthier options prepped and packed. This means I do a little more work on Sunday afternoon chopping fruit, putting a serving of nuts in a baggie or boiling a dozen eggs. When hunger strikes, I have a healthy option ready to eat.
In Conclusion: My Dietary Downfall
‘And now, for my true confession as part of this episode of dietitians’ eating downfalls: I love chocolate and must have it every day after dinner.
There’s no problem with chocolate. My issue is portion control. I have tried portion-controlled chocolate goodies, such as 100-calorie fudge bars. I would eat one of them, but then I would still eat the chocolate, too!
I’ve been battling chocolate urges for decades now, and I am pretty sure that trying to outsmart them is useless, and a waste of energy. Oh, well, I think this is one flaw I’ll just have to live with!
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome! 