Friday, April 13, 2012

Flax Seeds...make wonderful energy!

Tis the time of year for...

 Running...
 and backpacking!

And with these two events, 
it means we need GOOD energy snacks!

I have been seeing Energy Ball recipes all over Pinterest and I decided to tweak the recipe to things we had on hand and I can honestly say my family is LOVING these! 
We have been making them weekly for the past month so Jade has plenty of good energy snacks for his running practices for Track
(I've loved them on my early morning runs as well!)
Also, they have been wonderful to add to lunches instead of sending cookies for a treat.

  I actually like them much better than my homemade granola bars...they are more "hearty" and not as sweet...
 and they go together SO quickly and you don't have to bake them...
just mix basic ingredients together, 
let chill 45 minutes to an hour, 
roll into balls and keep chilled until ready to serve.

 BTW...I was given some "mini- chocolate chips" from one of my good friends and the first batch I added in some of those...

 However, I just like taking my 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips and breaking them into chunks to add in instead. 

 What I love about these energy balls
 is the ground Flax Seeds
I always try to add ground flax seeds to many of my baked goods, because flax seeds are high in 
 Fiber, Phytochemicals
AND Omega-3 Fatty Acids...
This energy ball recipe uses 1/2 cup of them.  

 I just buy whole flax seeds in bulk and then I grind them with a coffee grinder and store them in my fridge.  

Energy Balls
1 cup rolled oats (OLD fashioned, NOT quick)
1/2 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
1/3 cup RAW honey
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds (unsalted)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, OR, dark chocolate chunks
1-2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Mix altogether and refrigerate 45 minutes to an hour
Roll into small balls and keep refrigerated...

BTW....I'm sure you could add in whatever other things you would like...the sky is the limit!  I bet dried fruit or different nuts would be yummy as well!

 Enjoy 2 balls for energy before or after running
Perfect for kiddos to take in their lunches instead of cookies for a treat
OR, for an after school snack,
OR, the perfect thing to bring instead of granola bars 
for energy when hiking or backpacking!

Happy running, hiking and
backpacking energy to all of you!

13 comments:

Our Paper Plates said...

I am so making these! Yum!!

CB said...

I saw these too on the Smashed Peas and Carrots blog about a year ago and I make them also - LOVE them. It is so fun that something so good can be healthy! YUM!!!!! They are the perfect snack for energetic boys:-D
(And energetic parents - wink!!)

Doran & Jody said...

I have the Flax Seed written down somewhere. Some day I will have to REALLY make them and it won't require an oven!!! I MAY succeed!!

JENNIFRO said...

These look awesome! We're trying to cut back on sugar. These should help.

sherrie said...

Hi Kimmie,
I've been away for a while and I'm loving catching up on your blog. My mom used to make something very similar to your energy balls when I was a kid (they usually had some type of dried fruit in them, too) -- they were our version of "candy". I loved that she would either leave out the sunflower seeds and roll the balls in them instead, or she would mix the sunflower seeds in and then roll them in sesame seeds. The sesame seeds changed up the flavor once in a while, but both seeds kept our hands from getting sticky when we would eat them. Thank you for so much inspiration for healthy meals for our families.
~Sherrie A.

Unknown said...

I just made these with almond butter. Have you made them with it before? I had a really hard time keeping them together. They seemed to crumble really easy so I added in more almond butter and honey. I just put them in the fridge so I haven't tasted them yet. I'm sure they'll taste great still!

Kimmie said...

Hi Sarah!

Thanks for stopping by! I actually have only made these with Peanut Butter and they held together great...I never have had a problem with them crumbling, probably, because the peanut butter is more oily and it provides the moisture to hold it together. This recipe is easily adaptable and so I'm sure it will turn out great the way you made it with extra almond butter and honey!!

Hope you enjoy them...we sure love them! We're taking a batch on a backpacking trip over the weekend!
Have a great day!!

Unknown said...

How much does this make?

Kimmie said...

Reading Teacher Extraordinaire, this recipe makes anywhere from 18-24 balls, depending upon how large you make them. I hope you enjoy and if you have any other questions, just let me know! Have a great day!

Unknown said...

Thanks! A coworker made them at school and they were fantastic! I'm going on a girls weekend and we are all trying to eat healthy...these are perfect!

Edna Siu said...

Hi, Kimmie, it is my first time to your blog by Pinterest, I see your energy balls, and love to see something that is easy, not a lot of ingredients, and most of all, healthy! I ate granola bars all the times, between two meals, or when there is no meals - too busy to cook. I ate them to fill the empty stomach, I am a granola bars fan. I will try your recipe. One question for you: I have whole flax seed at home, but I cannot ground them with my blender, a very small one, nor a big one, the flax seed come on back as it goes into the machines. I see you can ground them so fine as power, how can you do that? with which blend of the grinder? please, if you don't mind advertise for the brand, let me know which one is so good as grounding the FLAX SEED. Or please email me the details, I will be so very appreciated to have ground nuts and seeds the way you have. Thank you.

Kimmie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kimmie said...

Hi Edna Siu, Thanks for stopping by! Regarding grinding up Flax Seeds... I purchased a "Krups F203" coffee grinder. It works awesome for grinding flax seed. You can purchase it for around $20.00. (google it and you can see what it looks like, and even order one online).

As far as how I chop nuts for recipes,I use the "Black and Decker Handy Chopper Plus". You can also google that and order it online as well. I've been using both of these for over 10 years and they both do a perfect job for what I need them for.

Here is a link to another granola bar recipe that is a staple at our house as well that you may enjoy making up too. http://pinkcookieswithsprinkles.blogspot.com/2012/09/granola-barsa-staple-at-our-house.html

I hope this helps you out and feel free to ask any other questions if you have any at all! Happy and healthy cooking to you!!