I've been on a mission lately to find healthy and tasty snack recipes to add some variety to my son's snack-pack for kindergarten. I was in a rut of sending store-bought granola bars, cheese strings, and apples (or a similar combination) for a while. What can I say? I've got a two year-old and 4-month-old baby at home as well, and mornings are chaotic to say the least! Eventually my son complained about how he was bored of his snack and, frankly , I was bored of sending it. The Dietitian in me wants to ensure that the snacks I send are healthy and somewhat balanced, containing both protein and carbohydrates and always including a fruit or vegetable. The Mom in me wants to send something that my son will eat (and enjoy eating!) and one that helps to keep his tummy full until lunch.
I haven't jumped on the energy or protein ball train until now, but I'm glad I did. These delicious little balls are a little sweet, a little salty, and a little crunchy — the perfect combination of all three. They are also extremely nutritious, packed full of protein, fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. They can also be made school-safe by substituting pumpkin seed butter for the peanut butter.
(Makes 20-22 balls)
Ingredients
Directions
Add all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a food processor and process until well-blended. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and add chocolate chips. Mix well.
Roll into 1-inch balls and place on parchment paper inside an airtight container. Chill and serve!
*Recipe inspired by: Living Well Mom's Gluten-free Chocolate Protein Balls
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If you like this, try my school-safe chocolate zucchini muffins and my flourless peanut butter and banana muffins
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