My husband and I are always looking for snacks to eat before our morning runs. Many days, John brings home snacks the XC moms bring to meets; one morning, he brought home little energy balls that were tasty. I started searching the internet for similar treats. When I found a promising recipe, I started playing around with it. I was thrilled to read in March's Runner's World Fridge Wisdom that flaxseed contains essential nutrients for runners (omega-3 fatty acid, lignans). I added sesame seeds after learning that they provide calcium, copper, iron, and magnesium (they would have gone bad in my cupboard anyway). John loved them, saying, "These are deceptively good! I could easily eat them all."
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 2 T sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey (if you spray the measuring cup lightly with cooking spray, it won't be so hard to manage)
- 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (you got that right, I chopped up the ones from my super-sized bag from Costco)
- 1 t vanilla
Note: This recipe yields 2 1/2 dozen balls. They are around 90 calories each.
DIRECTIONS:
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Mix well.
- Put bowl in refrigerator until well chilled, about 30 minutes.
- Roll into balls; store in air-tight container in freezer or fridge.
Time: From start to finish about 45 minutes
Source: I got the idea from an XC mom