A Boost of Healthy Energy

Today I want to share 2 recipes I came up with recently that provide a boost of energy and only have 4 ingredients! Although getting up early comes easy to me, I do like my caffeine when I roll out of bed, so I experimented with combining my morning latte with my breakfast and loved the result: Coffee Protein Shake - packed with plant based protein, potassium, and very little sugar. The second recipe came about, since I started working from home. I am definitely not the most disciplined person when it comes to...um, anything...., so to keep myself from eating junk all day, I need to have healthy and quick snacks readily available. After getting inspired on Pinterest, I came up with my own version of Energy Bites.

So here we go:

For the Coffee Protein Shake, you can pretty much substitute for half of the ingredients that I use. I really like the Vega Protein & Greens protein powder,since it is plant based and only has 2 grams of sugar per serving. Also, it doesn't have the grainy aftertaste like a lot of other protein powders tend to have. Then I use instant espresso powder - I love Cafe Bustelo Espresso. For added taste and nutrients, I use unsweetened coconut or almond milk. And as the last ingredient, I add frozen bananas for sweetness and to thicken the shake. See recipe at the bottom of the post!

Just like for the Coffee Protein Shake, you can modify the Energy Bites, as well. Here is the version I like the most...For the base, all you need is creamy Peanut Butter (I prefer all natural to low fat) and rolled oats. After these 2 ingredients you can add anything you like - chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried berries. I usually go with Chia Seeds for fiber and antioxidants, as well as dried cherries for sweetness. See recipe at the bottom of the post!

Hope you enjoy the finished products! Like I said before, you can modify both recipes to your own liking! - Love, Lena

Coffee Protein Shake

Ingredients:

1 heaping teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 frozen banana (cut up banana in pieces and freeze for at least 4 hours before use)
1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut or almond milk
1/4 cup water
needed for preparation: 1 blender or magic bullet

Preparation:

Add espresso and protein powder into a small bowl or glass and mix it with water until both have dissolved. Pour mixture into your blender - add frozen banana pieces and milk of your choice. Blend until smooth!

Yields about 16 oz

Energy Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup dried cherries

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into a deep bowl. Now comes the fun part! Get your hands dirty and start combining everything until you can start rolling golf sized balls....you may need to either add more oats or peanut butter depending on if they are too wet or too dry. Once you have a bunch of small balls (hehehe), place them on a tray/cookie sheet and let them sit in the freezer for about an hr. 

Remove them from the freezer and store them in an air tight container in the fridge. 

Yields about 8 balls