Protein Rich Energy Bites packed with a combination of almond butter and peanut butter, chia seeds, flaxseeds and more! So easy to make and great for snacking, you have to give this recipe a try!
Last Saturday I ran a 20k (roughly 12.4 miles) race here in Madison. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you know I’ve been training and running a lot of races. Why do I put my body through all of this? Two words: The Medals.
Joking aside, I love running races for the excitement, feeling of community, the competition and the overwhelming sense of accomplishment when it’s over and you cross that finish line. It’s pretty dang glorious. I’ve run 6 races (a mix of 12k’s, a 10 mile race and half marathons) all within the span of about a year with my friends Jayne and Laura.
Once the race gets started, my adrenaline gets going, the music is blasting and we’re off! We all hit the pavement and it’s game time. I love listening to music to get me pumped up and ready to run. For the last race, this was the song.
It’s been a pretty busy couple of months so my training wasn’t the best but thankfully, I ran the race faster than I thought I would and I didn’t injure myself. I can only credit this to all of the running I’ve been doing (my body is just used to it), my pure barre classes and how I eat.
I’m big on nutrition and trying to eat as healthy as possible (with the occasional splurge) and pretty much eat small portions and try to drink lots of water.
The snacking for me is inevitable so it’s important to have a pantry, refrigerator and freezer packed with the good stuff.
May is Celiac Awareness Month and although I’m not gluten-free, I have friends who are and readers who are as well. So, this post is for you!
Today, I’ve partnered with Van’s Natural Foods. I’ve talked about Van’s waffles here. They are a wholesome, delicious and quick breakfast option. Van’s waffles are Non-GMO project verified, and they contain no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils so you can feel good about feeding these to your family. Van’s also has a great line of gluten free waffles with flavors like blueberry, apple cinnamon and ancient grains original.
In addition to Van’s delicious and nutritious gluten-free waffles, they also make tasty granola, snack bars, crackers, and even pasta sides that are certified gluten-free.
Van’s gluten-free, whole grain snack bars and sandwich bars (in Cranberry Almond and Gramwich) pack a nutritious punch. These were a huge hit at my house with the kids! There is no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial ingredients, no hydrogenated oils or GMO oils, and they offer 10 grams of whole grains! I love that Van’s makes wholesome foods delicious and easy for busy, active adults and kids alike!
I loved these Gramwich sandwich bars so much I threw them into my protein rich energy bites! I make these before every race and try to keep them on hand in the refrigerator (or in my purse) when I need a little boost or snack. I used a combination of almond butter and peanut butter, chia seeds and flaxseeds and lots more!
I hope you give these a try!
Protein Rich Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup almond butter
- ¼ cup sunflower nuts
- 3 Van’s Gramwich gluten free snack bars broken into pieces
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole flaxseeds
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed meal
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup agave
- ½ cup natural peanut butter + more if needed
Instructions
- Using your food processor, pulse together all of the ingredients until combined. Do not over pulse; just pulse until the mixture just starts to come together. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the energy bite mixture and shape into balls using your hands.
- Place onto a baking sheet, plate or in a container and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or overnight. Energy bites can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-5 days.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Van’s Natural Foods. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting me in working with the brands and products that I use, love and trust.
You’ve become a total adrenaline junkie, Alice! But it’s a very good thing. You’ve been doing so many races and it’s amazing! Nothing feels like crossing that finish line. It’s the best natural high ever.
These look great. I love the Van’s waffles but haven’t tried their other products, so now I’m excited! Protein, too. We all need more of that!
Congrats on your race, Alice! That is such an incredible feat to accomplish! And these energy bites look so good! I’m always look for new ways to make some, as I love the endless flavor combos. These look perfect for that protein kick!
CONGRATS on your race Alice! you are a rock star 🙂
Congratulations on your race, Alice! I love running, too, but mostly just on the treadmill while I watch one of my favourite shows 🙂 If I’m not watching tv, I love to listen to music while working out too.
Love these energy bites! So few ingredients and so easy to make. The perfect healthy little bite. My kinda recipe! Look forward to trying these soon!
Alice CONGRATS on your 20k!!! I saw your IG/FB posts – you rocked it!
And these little energy bites are not only healthy – they sound super delish with Van’s Gramwich gluten free chocolate snack bars!
I saw your photo finish of your most recent race on FB, Alice and all I have to say is YOU GO GIRL! So inspiring that you participate in all these races. You are my idol! 😉 Love these energy bites! You totally packed these with so much healthy deliciousness, girlfriend! Protein perfection! Cheers!
Congrats on your race!! I wish I had the motivation to sign up for one. But I’d probably die halfway through. These energy bites would make for a great post race snack. Love them!
congrats on successfully running the race Alice, you are inspiring! love these energy bites, so wonderful!
These bites are perfect for when I’m having a mid-afternoon slump. Congrats on your race, you truly are wonder woman!
You are an inspiration! Thanks for the great recipe!
I only run if someone is chasing me with a baseball bat! LOL! You are amazing!
haha LOL!!! This comment made my day!
Hi Alice–I’m new to your blog and love what you are doing. I currently live in Palo Alto but grew up in Wisconsin so I have some idea of your adjustment! You are doing well! I watched your Today Show debut and admire your sprit. I used to do radio and TV appearances for Oscar Mayer, decades ago. Doing food prep in TV, live, w multiple hosts talking to you is really hard! You were delightful and the tart is so good, the net effect was positive. I’ll bet your site got lots of hits following the show. Your website is well done. The photography and video is compelling and the layout is appealing. I wish you the best.
Elizabeth,
Thank you SO much!!! You are too sweet and I really really appreciate you taking the time to leave me this comment. This made my night! Thank you!
It was so easy and very good! it’s healthy and its really rich with the protein ❤️
This recipe! it’s amazing thank you for inspiration and go on with the wonderfull recipes