No Bake Energy Bites

I am forever getting hungry at the gym. Seriously. I eat breakfast but it's like Pavlov's Dog for me.. I step out of my car and start walking towards the door and I feel hungry again! Maybe it's mental. Maybe it's my body's way of telling me "I need more fuel for the workout you're about to put me through!" The choices at the gym as far as protein bars go are okay, but expensive! I've just about burned myself out on Clif Bars and Z-Bars by Clif too! I recently discover the LÄRABAR at a vendor booth at a 5K event and LOVED them. They are made with all natural ingredients and delicious.. but again... expensive.

These little bites are my answer.They are super easy to make and you can tweak the recipe to include other ingredients you like. I went a little overboard and added a bunch extras. ;)

Basic Ingredients:
• 1 cup oatmeal
• ½ cup all natural peanut butter (This is important. You don't want or need all that nasty hydrogenated oil that comes in regular peanut butter. It's not good for you.) Or any nut butter.
• 1/3 cup honey (Raw, local, natural honey is best. Don't use that fake imitation stuff from the grocery store made with corn syrup. I say local honey because local honey will give you antibodies for the local pollen and will help with seasonal allergies.)
• ½ cup flaked coconut
• ½ cup flaxseed meal (aka ground flaxseed)
• 1 scoop of vanilla flavored protein powder (any protein powder will do. Just make sure the protein powder you use isn't full of sugar.)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and form into balls. Chill and eat. Keep refrigerated.
88 Calories each.

** You can add other ingredients to kick it up a notch. I also added 1/8 cup of each: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, golden raisins and craisins. 100 Calories each with these added ingredients.