By: Fia Batua -Mambuay, RND
Medical Culinary & Sports Nutritionist Dietitian
One of the things we need to know about sports nutrition is that we need to fuel our bodies before, during, and within an hour after each training or competition. An athlete’s performance can be supported and enhanced by a proper diet, including eating nutrient- dense foods and staying hydrated.
My sister and I have been formulating oat bar recipes for the past few years to help clients who are always on the go and who have no time to prep their training meals. It’s a wholesome snack for busybodies who need a quick energy boost. We mix it up with nuts, fruits, and other tasty ingredients.
This time, we enhanced our usual oat bar recipe by adding blueberries! Blueberries are a perfect addition to any diet, not just an athlete’s. They are functional fruit containing these four essential nutrients:
● Vitamin C – supports a healthy immune system.
● Fiber – promotes good heart health and helps you feel full.
● Manganese – helps convert proteins, carbs, and fats into energy and also
improves bone development.
● Vitamin K – aids in bone metabolism and helps regulate blood clotting.
They also contribute phytonutrients called polyphenols. This group includes anthocyanin (163.3 mg/100 g), a plant compound that gives blueberries their beautiful blue color.
This blue-tiful combination of nutrients and phytonutrients found in blueberries may support an athlete’s diet. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that stabilizes free radicals that prevent cellular damage. Aside from promoting heart health, dietary fiber also helps digestion. Meanwhile, manganese is needed by the body to make energy, strong bones, reproduction, and blood clotting, and vitamin K helps make protein to strengthen the bones and stops wounds from continuously bleeding.
Training Blueberry Oat Bars
Our Training Blueberry Oat Bars recipe was inspired by our favorite chewy oat cookie recipe. This is so easy to make – mix everything in a bowl, bake, and enjoy!
Ingredients
▢ 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted and warm (about 1 cup)
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 7 ounces light brown sugar
▢ 1 small egg (best if cold, chill for 5 minutes)
▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
▢ ¼ teaspoon baking soda
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 3 ½ ounces old-fashioned rolled oats (1 cup)
Blueberry Mixture
▢1 cup fresh blueberries
▢1 tablespoon lemon juice
▢ ½ tablespoon maple syrup
▢ ½ tablespoon cornstarch
(Mix well and to be added to the Oat Bar mixture later.)
▢ Canola oil to grease baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and grease with canola oil.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter, vanilla, light brown sugar, egg, cinnamon powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until there are no visible lumps.
4. Add in your rolled oats, then your blueberry mixture.
5. Pour and spread the mixture onto the bottom of the baking dish. Use a spatula to fill the corners evenly.
6. Let it stand for 20-25minutes.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden brown.
8. Cut to the desired size.
This yummy treat can make up to 15 small snackable bars! You can enjoy these oat bars warm or store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Blueberries are one of nature’s greatest treasures. I’m so glad to use fresh ones to tweak our favorite recipe!
References:
Nutrition Facts
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4141/P99-009
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613902/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156342/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26514720/ https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Manganese-Consumer/
https://medlineplus.gov/dietaryfiber.html
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This is a sponsored post by the U.S Highbush Blueberry Council in the Philippines (@usblueberriesphl on Facebook and Instagram), but all opinions are my own.
Fresh blueberries from the U.S. are available in stores near you and are also offered by online fruit sellers. Get yours now while they’re in season!
Welcome to my world! 