Kind of KIND Bars

After a hard track workout consisting of a 4 mile run followed by ten hill repeats on a hot and beautiful day, it was time to experiment with a good recovery snack. I'm always looking for new ways to get more protein in my diet, especially as a competitive runner. Since I'm trying to limit my sugar and fruit intake, granola is not a great option. Yet when I was only gluten free, I really enjoyed KIND bars, even though I'm not a bar type of gal. So I set out to make less fruity and sugary, but mega healthy and quick snack bar. Thus, the "Kind of KIND Bars:"

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 Tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1.5 cups almonds
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 Tablespoon  organic cocoa powder
1/3 cup  maple syrup

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Mix the seeds, nuts, coconut, and dried fruit together in a medium sized bowl. 
Combine the cocoa and maple syrup in a seperate smaller bowl. 
Pour maple syrup mixture with the fruits and nuts, and combine with a fork. 
Press into a 8x8 or other smaller glass baking dish greased with olive oil and place into the over for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 45 minutes, or until weel cooled and hardened.
Cut into bars or crumble up into granola-sized pieces.




Feel free to experiment on your own- add in a variety of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or other additions. Just be sure to keep the liquid to dry ingredient ratio consistent.