Energy bars are a great way to have a healthy snack on the go. Unfortunately, they are often loaded with sugar and fat and can also be expensive. For a decent tasting bar - my favourite was Tesco Finest Fruit and Nut - you pay a whopping £2.54 for 3.

Why not save some money and whip up your own, customised energy bars with this simple recipe [I haven't actually tried it out yet but am off to the supermarket today to buy ingredients, so I'll keep you posted on the results].

Each bar is virtually fat-free, easy to digest and supplies 30g of carbohydrate - enough to fuel 30-60 minutes of hard running


• Combine 175g oats

• 85g muesli and dried fruit together in a bowl

• Warm 3tbsp of honey until it becomes runny - add it to the oat mix

• Stir in 150g dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots, figs, apple, pineapple)

• 2 egg whites

• 175ml apple juice



Press the mixture into a lightly-oiled 18x28cm baking tin

Bake at 180ºC for 20-25 minutes until golden

Allow to cool slightly then cut into bars



Ideas for other ingredients:

Coconut
Hazel nuts
Peanuts
Cashew nuts
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Dried cranberries

Roll in sesame seeds while still slightly warm to coat