Protein Balls

At my January cooking class I thought I would teach one of my favorite healthy go-to snacks.  These Protein Balls are FULL of flavor and nutrients.  They are a great thing to grab on your way to and from working out, and whenever you need a little snack.  Plus my kids love them!  If you call them a cookie, they will eat anything... right?!

Protein Balls

½ cup honey

½ cup agave

1 ½ cups peanut butter

3 cups oats

1 cup brown flax seeds

½ cup sesame seeds

½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

½ cup diced almonds

½ cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup vanilla protein powder

½ cup mini chocolate chips

Mix the peanut butter and honey first until it is smooth.  Then slowly add the dry ingredients.  Mix the protein powder last, it helps to bind everything together.

Form them into balls the size of a golf balls and let them refrigerate overnight.  Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to two weeks.

Tropical Tacos with Jicima Slaw

This is the 2nd day of my Whole30 diet.  I decided to make great dinners every night so we had something to look forward to.  I am happy to say that I am 2 for 2! Tonights dinner was so incredible, if I do say so myself (and my husband said it too). I will make this often, it was seriously so good!

Tropical Tacos with Jicama Slaw

Serves 2-4 | Prep 15 minutes | Cook 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Slaw:
2 large carrots, grated
1 small jicama, grated
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 large head butter lettuce

Meat:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 mango, cored, peeled, and diced

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix carrots, jicama, lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside. Separate lettuce head into individual leaves, wash, and set aside.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then sauté the onion and jalapeño until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, and as soon as it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds, crumble the ground turkey into the pan. Cook until the turkey is no longer pink.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, allspice, salt, and pepper. Add to the pan, and stir until fragrant, then add the coconut aminos and mango. Sauté until combined and the mango is warm, about 2 minutes.

4. Spoon turkey into individual lettuce leaves and top with carrot-jicama slaw

Fruit Cups

I remember eating these fruit cups at my grandparents house when I was little.  They have always been a favorite frozen treat of mine. I thought these would be a great snack to have on hand for my kids. This is the perfect recipe to have your kids help make!

Fruit Cups

15 oz. Canned Apricots
15 oz. Sliced Peaches
20 oz. Pineapple Tidbits
3 c. Fresh or frozen Strawberries
6 oz Frozen Orange Juice
3 Bananas

Drain the apricots, peaches, and the pineapple and put them in a blender.  Cut the strawberries, and bananas and add to the blender. Put in the frozen orange juice and gently blend until everything is mixed together.  Pour into small cups and cover. Put them into the freezer and enjoy once frozen!

Power Balls

This is a recipe I make a lot, especially when I got off of refined sugars.  It is a great thing to have on hand to eat before working out, or in-between meals as a snack, and my kids love them too.  You could basically put in the kitchen sink, but this is the mixture I have liked best.

Power Balls

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened if you prefer)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3 cups rolled oats
1/2-1 cup of mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder

Mix the peanut butter, agave and honey together till smooth.  In a big bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.  Slowly add the peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients.  Mix in the protein powder last.  It will help to bind everything together.  Form them into balls, or use a muffin sized scooper and place them on a cookie sheet.  Refrigerate over night.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  You can freeze in baggies what you won't eat right away, and pull them out as needed.

*I like to use half agave, half honey.  But you can do a cup of one or the other.