Do it yourself energy bars – for full power on the mountain!

Long days on the mountain demand a lot from your body. Whether you're skiing, hiking or climbing: During sports units of more than an hour, your body needs energy replenishment. In addition, not only the movement alone boosts your consumption on the mountain, but also external influences such as cold or wind and mental components, such as high concentration or anxiety, drain your body and mind. When it comes down to it, you shouldn't risk an energy low! But it doesn't have to be the expensive energy bar or pimply-sweet candy bar from the supermarket. With this recipe you can easily make your own healthy snack for the next mountain tour: full of nutrients and fiber, without unnecessary household sugar AND really delicious.

Not only, but especially (endurance) athletes need carbohydrates. They are like the gasoline in the car, like the water in the flower vase, like my big cup of coffee in the morning - without them, nothing works! Ideally, you get an energy kick that doesn't send you straight back into an even deeper hole after a short-lived high. Recreational athletes (even the ambitious ones) can confidently rely on natural energy sources and don't necessarily need to choke down sticky gels or bars without fearing a drop in performance. Long-chain carbohydrates in the form of oatmeal, millet pops and buckwheat keep your blood sugar levels stable for longer periods of time and are also excellent sources of protein and fiber. You can find a wide variety of grains in well-stocked supermarkets or health food stores in all sorts of forms: Buckwheat, millet, oats, spelt - in the form of flakes, pops or the whole grain. There are no limits to your creativity!

Especially when it comes to sports, it can also be a sweet snack. It pushes and motivates us physically and mentally for the last meters to the summit or the challenging descent. With a few simple tricks, you can easily replace the boring refined household sugar with vitamin-rich, natural sweeteners.
The banana: It is quite rightly popular with athletes. In contrast to many other types of fruit, the glucose and fructose content is almost equal. This sweet energy supplier is due to the perfect ratio very digestible for the stomach and brings us sustainably from our hypoglycemia. The dried date: It convinces with a high fibre content, which has a regulating effect on the blood sugar level. And: The two fruits not only provide a fine sweetness, they also give the bar the necessary consistency and cohesion!

Flax seeds, unlike the trendy chia seeds, don't have to be shipped halfway around the world and are much cheaper to boot. The small seeds work wonders for our intestines and help maintain the protective mucosa. Flax seeds are also considered a high-quality source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. Especially in gluten-free baking, they hold the mixture together in ground form (or as flour) due to their binding ability.

No question, nuts are real fat bombs. But: not all fat is the same! The good omega-3 fatty acids have an anti-inflammatory and mood-lifting effect and especially the walnut stands out as a nut star with a top ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. So, bring on the good mini fat bombs!

• 3 Bananas
• 230 g Rolled oats (crunchy)
  
• 2 TABLESPOON Linseed
• 80 g Buckwheat
• 50 g Millet pops (optionally quinoa or amaranth pops)
  
• 60 g Almonds
• 60 g Walnuts
• 100 g peanut butter (or another nut cream)
  
• 80 g dates
• 2 TSP Cinnamon
• 1 Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons honey (if you like it sweeter)
• 50 g dark chocolate (at least 85% cocoa)

Cook the dates in a little water until they are soft. Meanwhile, roughly chop the nuts. Tip: Roast the nut mixture briefly in the oven - this intensifies the nutty flavour!

Process the soft dates together with the ripe bananas and the nut butter in a blender to a creamy puree.

Mix all the ingredients together and place in a baking tin with baking paper. IMPORTANT: Press the mixture down firmly! Otherwise you will end up with crunchy muesli (which is not bad per se). After 25 minutes at 150° C circulating heat, remove the mixture with the baking paper from the pan and press down firmly again (it's best to use the bottom of the pan for this). Bake for another 10 minutes at top heat until golden brown.

Allow the mass to cool. Optional (but highly recommended): Melt dark chocolate in a water bath and spread over the bar mixture.

Once the chocolate is solid, the granola bars can be cut. It is best to store the bars in the refrigerator or freeze them.

Good luck and lots of power and fun on the mountain!

Photos: ©Lena Koller