My New Favorite Snack Recipe

My husband and I just celebrated our twenty-first wedding anniversary.  Yay, us! We usually go for a bike ride together because that’s how we met. We had a fun ride then ordered take-out sushi, which we enjoyed eating outside in the nice spring weather. Earlier in the week we also went cross-country skiing, so it's been like an anniversary week. It's been a nice break from the usual daily busyness.

Speaking of regular life, we've been trying new snacks at home. My son is trying to limit his sugar while exercising more as part of improving his gut health. He doesn’t want to rely on standard energy bars, because he thinks they have too much sugar and he doesn’t want to undo the work he’s done to improve.

(You may remember he’s been on quite the health journey, suffering from chronic fatigue and brain fog brought about by an imbalanced microbiome and mold toxicity. It’s one of the reasons I’m writing a book on gut health!) 

So today, I’m sharing a recipe for Quick Energy Bites! They’re for those days when you’re rushing from one thing to the next, and you suddenly realize you’re starving…or you can eat them before you get to that point! Instead of reaching for something sugary (and dealing with the inevitable blood sugar crash), you can have these on hand.

These little snacks are packed with protein, healthy fats, and fibre, giving you a boost of energy that lasts. Plus, they’re no-bake, super easy to make, and kid-approved if you’ve got littles or bigs running around.

Quick Energy Bites -Makes ~12 bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup almond butter (or any nut butter you like)
• ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

 Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
2. Roll into 1-inch balls (tip: dampen your hands slightly to avoid sticking).
3. Place bites on a parchment lined tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Warning: You may want to double this recipe because they’ll disappear fast!

These are perfect for a quick snack between meetings or errands; fueling up before or during a workout; or satisfying a sweet craving without the sugar crash.

Give them a try and let me know what you think.