The breakfast of champions is not a pop tart or a bagel with cream cheese. The Game Changers fuel with a bowl of oatmeal, (sprinkled in brown sugar, raisins, and sliced banana) along with two POWER BALLS to start the day. As triathletes-in-training, we burn a lot of fuel with yoga, strength building, time on the bike, and running mileage. Healthy snacks are purpose-driven to fuel our bodies with super-powered foods like whole oats, peanut butter, and dried blueberries instead of munching on junk foods that will only cause us to crash and burn.
Our personal favorite energy boost to tie us over in-between meals are the No-Bake Power Ball Energy Bites. Adapted from the #KeepingHope Blog with Coach Dan Margritz of Hope College’s Kinesiology Department, is my version of an easy snack that is healthy with a slightly sweet edge to power you through.
POWER BALL Energy Bites
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Dry Oatmeal
- 2/3 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- 1 Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter (Chef Ashley prefers crunchy PB)
- ½ cup Ground Flaxseed
- ½ cup dried blueberries
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ½ cup of chocolate chips (optional)
Combine all your ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir together with a spoon and then mix with your hands to blend together completely. Allow the mixture to set in your fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Time Travel Tip:
- RUSH! If you’re in a hurry, you could speed this process by placing it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before rolling the power balls.
- SLOW MO! If you don’t have time to complete the process, it can sit in the fridge overnight until the next day.
After the mixture has had time to sit, scoop a portion of the mixture with your hands that is roughly the size of a golf ball. I squeeze the ball in my hands a couple of times as if it were a stress-relief toy to compact the dough into a form and then roll the ball between my hands to smooth into shape.
*Note: The peanut butter acts like a glue to keep the bites together, so after refrigerating, if they still want to come apart while rolling, add a little more peanut butter to the mixture to help them stick together.
I usually roll about 20-25 individual power balls that are stored in a container on the top row of my fridge for easy access and ultimate freshness. Get your boost with these energy bites and power up!
Game Changers 