It’s already mid-June and with only two weeks to go in the month I’m just getting to my quarterly blog post now. While I write for a living in my marketing communications career, I find blog writing in my nutrition work to be excruciatingly challenging. It’s not out of a lack of things to write about, mind you, but more out of self-inflicted pressure to find the most interesting topic and provide the most comprehensively information to the point where I’m tired from all the mental preparation before I even get a word typed. No fun!
Still, in the spirit of overcoming challenge and honoring the words of my January 2015 blog posting about making and keeping resolutions
, I am keeping my resolution to write at least one blog posting per quarter with this posting. I had been struggling for inspiration for the past month when just in the nick of time, my future stepdaughter, who happens to be quite a chef, brought me the most yummy homemade energy snacks to try (thank you, Claude!!) As they have really made a difference in my snacking, I decided it’s the perfect recipe to share!
Check out these no-bake Energy Bites. Vegan, raw, super healthy, and incredibly tasty, these easy-to-make, perfect-on-the-go snacks are no ordinary health food. In fact, I have discovered that they really fit my daily nutritional need for greater dietary protein and healthy fat to support my increased cardio and weight training exercise regime. I’m eating lighter these days to achieve some weight loss and find I’m hungry for snacks in between my light meals. Just two of these small but dense energy bites satisfy my hunger for hours without that bloated, full feeling thanks to the complex carbs, healthy fats, protein, and fiber. That’s right – these gems are packed with abundant healthy fat, which is what keeps me feeling satiated and feeling energetic so I actually snack less. And most importantly, they are perfectly flavored without tasting ‘sweet’, have a fantastic chewy/crunchy texture and are really delicious! Not to mention gluten free. They are so easy to make with just a few ingredients, there’s no need to heat up the oven, and they’re portable to take with you on-the-go.
Ready for the recipe? Use this as a guide and experiment with grains, sweetener, and your own added ingredients….
1 Cup quick cook oats (look for gluten free if that’s important to you)
2/3 Cup toasted shredded coconut
1/2 Cup natural crunchy peanut butter or almond butter (almond is healthier), or a combination of the two
1/8 Cup hemp, chia, or flax seeds (ground is preferred to get the Omega-3 fatty acid benefits)
UPDATE Oct 12, 2105: Add in about 1/4 of apple sauce in place of any sweetener. Not only is apple sauce vegan but it adds a much needed moistness to the recipe.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Makes about 16 1 ½ inch balls
Preparation
- Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Stir together until everything is thoroughly combined. Add a bit of filtered water as needed to achieve perfect stickiness.
- Roll dough into 1-2 inch balls and refrigerate for at least one hour so that they maintain their shape. Ready to enjoy as is
Approximate nutrition facts
So there you have it – give it a try and let me know what you think. Or send me your favorite energy snack recipe. And here’s to keeping those resolutions when we’re feeling discouraged.
Until next quarter then …..
Be well,
Denise
