Do you need a sweet little pick me up? Well... you came to the right place! This energy bites recipe is jam packed with various nutritious foods including flax seed, chia seeds, and rolled oats.
This recipe is brought to you by my sister Megan. She is one of the most mindful people I know, and this is especially true when it comes to eating. For the first time in a while my sister is living at home for the summer--lucky me! I am looking forward to learning from my sister about eating mindfully and hopefully learning how to make more healthy recipes to share with you all!
Flax seeds and chia seeds are a very trendy health food. Here are a few bullet points about each of them...
Flax seeds
- contain ALA and lignans which help to reduce inflammation
- may reduce your risk for diseases such as cardiovascular disease and lung disease
- contain both soluble and insoluble fiber
- read more at http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed#1
Chia seeds
- contain omega-3 essential fatty acid that helps support normal cardiovascular function
- contain fiber that helps with normal functioning of the digestive system
- have positive effects on skin and aging
- boost your energy and metabolism
- read more about chia seeds at https://draxe.com/chia-seeds-benefits-side-effects/
Ingredients (makes about 36 energy balls)
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup flax seed
- 1/4 cup chia seed
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2/3 cup honey
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
How to make it
- measure out indicated amounts of all ingredients
- combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together (I recommend mixing it with your hands)
- set mixed ingredients in freezer for at least 1 hour (this helps when rolling out the energy bites...you can skip this step but your hands will get a lot messier)
- once mixture has had time to cool down, roll into balls about the size of a golf ball
- enjoy all of the energy bites that you wish
- store remaining energy bites in the freezer
Finished product
For next time...
Next time I will use mini chocolate chips instead of the larger one I used in this recipe. This will provide a more even distribution of the chocolate throughout the energy bites. This recipe has been made and enjoyed many times by my sister, so there are not many other things I would change! They are delicious.
Variations
When I make these energy bites again, I might play around with the different ingredients. I might try adding nuts (almonds, walnuts, peanuts). Also, I think that chunky peanut butter would add a fun texture to the energy bites. If you are not someone who loves the way honey tastes, make sure you are using a more mild honey so that it doesn't overpower the other flavors. Lastly, I might try substituting cacao nibs for the chocolate chips to add even more health benefits to the energy bites!
All in all
These energy bites are so delicious...maybe even a little bit addicting. They are so easy to make--I spent around 10 minutes total actually making them. Also, these bites are an easy grab-n-go snack or a great addition to a packed lunch. I recommend that the first time you make these energy bites that you half the recipe to make sure you like the bites. If you do end up enjoying them and want to make more, I think it is more time efficient to use the recipe amounts in the recipe listed above.
Happy Friday everyone!!