Matthew Darnell would appear to be the perfect mix.

The Pitt graduate student and lifelong athlete is self-motivated, training for the Pittsburgh Triathlon and ... likes to cook.

Shake it all together and you get Mr. Darnell, Market District presenter. He speaks at Giant Eagle's Shadyside and Bethel Park stores on the subject of power -- physical power, that is, and how to fuel it.

Most recently, Mr. Darnell, 23, gave demonstrations of energy bars. With a degree from the University of Pittsburgh in clinical dietetics and a minor in nutrition fitness, he's stirred up his own recipes for the bars, which proliferate on store shelves nowadays.

"They can be very expensive, and when you look at them, it's nothing you can't do yourself," he says.

The former Pitt varsity wrestler puts out a recipe for a Berry Crunch Energy Bar that packs a lot of good-tasting ingredients (walnuts, cinnamon, whole wheat cereal, dried cherries and blueberries) as well as a purpose.

"I was shooting for something that would be consumed prior to working out in the morning, on the run, on the go, something kind of like a Nutri-Grain bar, but a little bit better than Nutri-Grain bar or a granola bar," he says. "Something that would be easily digested and sustain energy."

His recipes are geared for a range of people on the go, from the intense athlete to the weekend warrior.

He gives his talks under the umbrella of CHAMPS: Carbohydrates, hydration, adequate fat, muscle recovery, protein and supplements.

"Depending on what group I'm talking to, I can break [the program] down to the amount of carbs [the athletes] should be getting before or after an event, hydration, make sure they're consuming the right types of fat, the right amounts," says Mr. Darnell, who got involved in doing in-store presentations after attending classes and presentations by Judy Dodd, Market District's corporate nutritionist.

He has also done programs on that all-important meal, breakfast. For the serious athlete, he says breakfast should pack 300 calories, "something that is going to provide sustained energy, to last until your next meal," and it should include at least four of the five food groups.

"Whichever four you can squeeze in," he says. "People say, 'What kind of vegetable am I going to have for breakfast?' "

He acknowledges, "People have a hard time chewing on broccoli when they first wake up," but notes, "You can do omelets."

Mr. Darnell's "Pumped-Up Pumpkin Granola" skips the broccoli but gets in a fruit (canned pumpkin pie filling), nuts and oatmeal.

"I get a lot of people who show up who aren't necessarily full-time athletes, [but] I tell them, 'There's not that much difference between what an athlete would eat and a normal person would eat, other than the number of calories.' "

Mr. Darnell has devised a recipe for a post-workout recovery bar. It's based on sports nutrition research that shows a four-to-one carb-to-protein balance is best after rigorous activity, replacing the carbohydrates you've burned and the protein you need to help with muscle recovery.

It's also best to ingest the mix within 30 minutes of a workout, he said. Your body "is more receptive ... It's going to try to repair once it's done. You want to maximize the results, you don't want to go into a starvation kind of thing, [with your body] looking for resources to repair."

An apple and milk would do the trick; a glass of chocolate milk "is great," he says.

Mr. Darnell has plenty of opportunity to tear down and build up. Aside from working part-time with athletes at Pitt, doing an independent study at the Downtown YMCA and attending Pitt's graduate program in sports medicine and nutrition, he is training for that Pittsburgh Triathlon.

So he runs. He bikes. He swims. And he cooks.

He'll give a talk on healthy snacks at 11 a.m. March 21 at Market District, Village Square Mall, Bethel Park and at 1 p.m. that day at the Shadyside store.

Power on.

PG tested

The crunch in this comes from the cracked wheat. It is ordinarily soaked before use in baking but Matt Darnell does not do this. I made these with Bob's Red Mill Cracked Wheat Hot Cereal without soaking.

The wheat in the base of the bars softened enough from baking but the topping was akin to eating blackberry pie, with its seeds. If that is not for you, soften the 1/4 cup cracked wheat first by soaking it overnight in slightly less than a 1/4 cup of water. Or you can skip the cracked wheat in the topping.

The crunchiness, while different, did not bother the majority of my taste testers, who loved the mix of cinnamon and berries in these bars.

-- Margi Shrum

For the topping

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup 100-percent wheat hot cereal such as Ralston Whole Grain, Bob's Red Mill Cracked Wheat Hot Cereal or Wheatena
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the base

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 100-percent wheat hot cereal, uncooked
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup dried blueberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Make the topping

Combine sugar, cereal, nuts, butter and cinnamon. Set aside.

Make the base

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, cereal, cherries, blueberries, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs and applesauce. Add to cereal mixture all at once, stirring until just moistened.

Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cut into 12 equal pieces.

Makes 12 bars.

Per serving: 195 calories, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 34 grams carbohydrates.

To convert this to a recovery bar for after a workout (these are more dense): Add an additional egg white and substitute a 6-ounce container of nonfat Greek yogurt for the applesauce.

Per serving: 204 calories, 3 grams fiber, 8 grams protein, 4 grams fat, 33 grams carbohydrates.

-- Matthew Darnell

Pumped-Up Pumpkin Granola

• 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling (canned)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Vegetable oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Combine oats, walnuts, pecans, almonds, raisins, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together pumpkin pie filling and syrup.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients together, mixing well.

Spread mixture on cookie sheet and bake about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

When finished baking, allow to cool and store in an airtight container in fridge.

Makes 12 1/2-cup servings.

-- Matthew Darnell

Banana Nut Oatmeal

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/4 cup walnuts, halved
• 1 medium banana, sliced
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup

Cook oatmeal according to package directions.

Mix in to cooked oatmeal the walnuts, banana, milk and vanilla.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and top with maple syrup.

Makes one serving.

-- Matthew Darnell

Easy Egg Muffins

• 1 whole wheat English muffin
• 1 large egg
• 1 slice American cheese
• 1 slice of deli ham or Canadian bacon
• Cooking spray

Toast English muffin.

Spray a microwave-safe bowl with cooking spray.

Break egg into bowl and microwave for about 1 minute or until cooked.

Place cooked egg on toasted English muffin with cheese and ham.

Makes 1 serving.

-- Matthew Darnell

Berry Smoothie

• 1 1/2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt (1% fat)
• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1/2 tablespoon honey

In a blender, on high, mix milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese; pause, then add mixed berries and honey and continue blending on high until smooth.

Makes two servings.

-- Matthew Darnell