For the longest time I would tell myself that I need to start eating better. I mean, if I’m going to do all the races I have planned this year something has to change. Figuring out my problem is my sweet tooth I knew I had to have something to compensate. Thankfully, I found the best recipe for some simple and delicious no-bake energy bites.
When I decided that I wanted to start making changes I looked into to things that I knew would help me: simple snacks and sugar substitutes. Is it easy? No! But I know that if I want to make running a little easier and not so hard on my body I have to do something. Snack substitutes have become my go to.
A friend at work brings cut up carrots and broccoli that he snacks on all day long. Every morning I prep myself some carrots, celery, and cucumber. Really, I cut up a lot because I want to fill myself up on these. Because I have done this, it has made it so that I don’t eat lunch until later and therefore not eating much at dinner.
You can’t live on vegetables and water all day, so I added some energy bites. I mean, let’s be real. These guys are really just protein bars rolled up into tiny little bite-sized balls. But apparently the world loves those little portion-controlled bites, because there were zillions of recipes for them online!
I noticed that a bunch of people were nixing chocolate chips in favor of unsweetened cocoa powder to give theirs an extra chocolate-y kick. So I gave it a try and became a quick convert. Don’t worry — the honey still sweetens up the chocolate. And really, anything with peanut butter is a win for me!
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bits
Ingredients
- 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
- 2/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, to make the mix easier to handle and mold.
- Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- Makes about 20-25 balls.
- *If the mix seems to dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of honey or peanut butter. If the mix seems too wet (which may happen if you use natural peanut butter), add extra oatmeal.
