blissful eats with tina jeffers: Nutty quinoa energy bites

I am trying to eat a little better these days and I have come to the realization that I really fall down when it comes to snacks.  For the most part I eat fairly well but when I am stressed out or away from home I have a bad habit of reaching for a bag of chips or a candy bar.  Since I’m trying to drop a few pounds I decided to try to find an easy snack to put together that I can grab after a workout or whenever I need a little energy boost.

These energy bites come together in a few minutes, especially if you have some leftover cooked quinoa and they store well in the fridge or freezer.  The quinoa and chia seeds offer a great dose of omega 3’s as well as a good source of protein that will fill you up without weighing you down.

This recipe can be super flexible as well, replace the quinoa with oats or puffed rice, use any kind of nut butter you’d like and for a little extra sweetness consider the addition of dried fruit such as cherries or dates.  I would love to hear any ideas or variations you come up with!

Nutty quinoa energy bites

Makes about a dozen bites

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa

¼ cup ground flaxseed

¼ cup chopped roasted cashews

2 tablespoons chia seeds

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch of salt

¼ cup creamy almond butter

¼ cup honey

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Method:

Combine quinoa, flaxseed, cashews, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and stir together.  Heat the almond butter and honey in a small saucepan, stir and cook until the mixture is melted and smooth.  Let the mixture cool slightly and then add to the quinoa mixture and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.  Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, the mixture will be soft and slightly sticky.  Roll the bites in the sesame seeds to coat.  Place the finished bites on a plate or cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes then they are ready to eat!  Keep them stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.