Rachel Ward's video: COCONUT AND CHOCOLATE ENERGY BAR

I am a huge advocate of healthy eating and finding snacks and protein bars that are not full of additives and nasty extras that I can quickly eat before I run or hit the gym. After searching and failing to find the perfect bars that are clean, actually taste good, and don't cost a fortune, I decided to make my own. This way I know exactly what's inside them and as I can control the ingredients and bulk bake I can make it a more cost effective way to have energy filled and nutritious snacks that will keep me fueled throughout my workouts. The best thing about these energy bars is they are so versatile and can be adapted to suit your own personal preferences. If you don't like coconut, take it out, if you prefer nuts and raisins, throw them in. The possibilities are endless and each time you make these bars you can literally create an entire different taste based on your optional additions. The foundation of the energy bar is based on oats, which are full of fibre and are designed to keep you fuller for longer, so a great starting point for the bar. We then move onto the banana, which is used as a binder to hold the bars together (this is used in place of butter or sugar syrups, so a healthy alternative). Bananas have a high level of potassium which is one of the most important minerals in the body. Potassium helps to regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals. So adding bananas to these bars are beneficial to your overall health, bananas are also a great source of vitamin C, and adding vitamin C to your diet is especially important if you're a runner (or a frequent gym goer) as Vitamin C helps the growth and repair of the tissues that are torn during exercise. The third and final ingredient that I use as a basic for these bars in peanut butter. I use peanut butter again similar to banana as a binding agent, it's a great way to allow the oats and added extras to form the bars. Peanut butter also has a lot of health benefits (make sure to read the labels as some peanut butter contains a lot of sugar). Finding a good quality peanut butter that contains 100% peanuts is vital for these energy bars as peanut butter contains oleic acid (from the fats in the peanuts) and it's this oleic acid that has been shown to help maintain good cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. So these energy bars are a great way to maintain your health and ultimately lowering your risk of heart disease. These three ingredients are the three staples for these energy bars. Everything else can be adapted and altered to suit your own personal preference. Ingredients: 3 cups oats 1 cup coconut 1 cup cocoa powder 3 bananas ¾ jar of peanut butter 2 tablespoons honey Method: Preheat oven to 160 degrees, and line a baking dish with greaseproof paper In an large mixing bowl, combine the oats, coconut, cocoa powder peanut butter and honey & mix to combine Once fully mixed, pour the mixture out into the lined baking dish and compress down Bake in preheated oven for 20 mins at 160 degrees Remove from oven and leave to cool before slicing *Optional Melt chocolate and drizzle over the top of the energy bars before slicing for an optional extra.