Energy Balls Recipe

Oh, these are so good. You'll make them for the kids, and then you'll find yourself returning to the refrigerator whenever there's a break in your day--or even when you "invent" a break in the day. They're full of good-for-you nutrients like protein, fiber, and anti-oxidants. Kids love them because they're sweet and peanut buttery, and these energy balls will give them energy that lasts longer than they'd get from a carbohydrate-based snack.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (get gluten-free oats if you want these to be gluten-free)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup flax seed meal
Other add-ins: chopped nuts, dried fruit (raisins), chocolate chips (of course!)

Mix the honey and peanut butter in a large bowl. Add all of your other ingredients, and put the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour. Remove the bowl from the fridge and break off small portions of the mixture to roll into balls. Store the energy balls in an air-tight container either in the refrigerator or in the freezer.

I like to keep a container of energy balls in the refrigerator all the time. They're perfect after-school snacks as well as energy boosters for before swim team or dance class. Your babysitting co-op kids will love them, too. Just make sure you haven't included ingredients that any of the co-op kids are allergic to.