Do you ever struggle to come up with healthy items to pack in your kids’ snacks and lunches that they’ll actually eat? I try my best to keep my kids away from processed foods and excess sugar, but when they’re seeing it in all the other kids’ lunch boxes, it can be tough! My kids are pretty healthy, and understand the importance of choosing quality foods to fuel them through the day, but they also like to have things in their lunch boxes that seem like a treat. So, my job becomes finding them something high in protein, low in sugar, and ALSO yummy (I know…does that even exist??) to pack for their morning recess snack.
My solution?
No Bake Protein Energy Bites!
This recipe is so simple to make, and creates a bite sized “treat” that is perfect to pack for school, offer as an after school snack, or even as an after dinner treat! My kids love taking them to school for their morning recess snack time, and I love knowing that their snack is filled with protein and other healthy ingredients, will give them lasting energy without a blood sugar crash in the middle of class!
Ingredients:*
– 2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I used Shakeology for the added healthy ingredients, but any good quality protein powder would work!)
– 1/3c organic peanut butter
– 1/4c raw organic honey
– 2 Tbsp. PB2 or other powdered peanut butter (optional)
– 1/2c quick cooking oats (I used rolled oats and put them in my magic bullet to make them a little more fine)
– 1/2c applesauce
Optional ingredients for rolling:
– Chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds…whatever you have on hand!)
– Hemp seeds
– Puffed rice cereal
The Method:
1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. The mixture should be VERY thick and sticky. It needs to hold together completely, and should not stick to the sides of the bowl.
2. Once it is completely combined, and you’ve reached the desired consistency, roll into one inch balls and place on a tray or baking sheet.
3. At this point, I prefer to roll them in something to coat the outside of the ball, but this step is optional. I find that coating the outside helps keep them a little less sticky by the time the kids eat them for snack. For my most recent batch, I rolled 1/2 in puffed rice cereal and the other 1/2 in a combination of chopped walnuts and hemp seeds (for extra protein!)
4. Place tray in the freezer for 1 hour to allow them to harden separately.
5. Place frozen protein balls in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer until ready to pack or eat. They should be frozen when you pack them in order to prevent them from getting too sticky. They are also delicious eaten right from the freezer!
*I’m not big on measuring, so all measurements are approximate. For this recipe in particular, you really need to adjust as you go to ensure the right consistency, so feel free to play around with it. I’ve adapted this recipe from several similar recipes I’ve tried, and make it slightly different every time!