Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oat Energy Balls
Hi Friends! I am bACK and after that week long cleanse I am ready to rock n' roll. Sheesh that was definitely not easy for so many reasons, but it is done; I am moving forward; I feel better; and bring on all the good food, because honestly...I missed it! After a week though of a very bland diet, it is important to slowly add things back into the mix, so that I do not shock my system. So right now I am sticking to real food, simple ingredients, and YES to nut butters and avocados. And it wasn't this morning until I honestly craved coffee...I opted for decaf...HA!
I am really excited for today's guest post from Alysia! She blogs over at Slim Sanity and I hope you will take some time to get to know this NEW Mom! I think this is a great time for this post for a couple of reasons. As we transition into Spring/Summer, it is a good time to regroup...press the restart button...and add some new healthy changes...like this recipe! When you are looking to make healthier changes to your lifestyle it is important to do it slowly. There is no need to dive head first into it, just like I cannot eat an entire pizza after this cleanse! Make sense? So check out this delicious recipe by Alysia and let me know if you give it a go! XOXO
One of the small changes you can make for a healthier lifestyle is to add certain healthy foods into your diet. It's a more positive focus than taking ‘unhealthy’ foods away; although inherently when you add healthier foods in, the unhealthy foods you once craved naturally fall out of your grocery cart. :) The best way to add foods to your diet is to incorporating healthier foods into meals you already enjoy. This can be done without much effort at all, and you hardly even realize you’re making progress! One of the best foods to start with are chia seeds.
Chia seeds are tiny, and they go a really long way. Two tablespoons of chia seeds come in at 60 calories, and add great texture and nutrition to your foods! Some of the health benefits of chia seeds include:
• Lots of nutrients per serving. Just two tablespoons have 11 g of fiber and 18% DV calcium among other essential nutrients like magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese
• They are also packed with healthy fats, including 5 g omega-3 fatty acids
• Chia seeds are loaded with antioxidants
• Eating chia seeds can also result in improved exercise performance
This list should be plenty long to motivate you to add these little seeds to your meals immediately, right?! Salads, smoothies, yogurt… and these chocolate and peanut butter oat energy balls. Balls are one of the easiest snacks to grab and go on your way to work or the gym! They’re my favorite these days, and this recipe is full of nutritious ingredients.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oat Energy Balls
Ingredients
· ½ cup peanut butter
· ¼ cup maple syrup
· 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
· 1 cup steel cut oats or old fashioned oats
· ¼ cup chia seeds
· 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded
Preparation
1. Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix well, until you have an even consistency which you can roll into a ball. If the mixture isn’t sticky enough, add some more peanut butter. If it is too sticky, add in some extra oats.
2. Roll into 16 balls. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.
What changes are you making this Spring to be healthier?
Do you add chia seeds to any foods?
