No Bake "Energy Bites"

If you ask people to think of a common "side effect" of pregnancy I am sure that answers relating to increased appetite would be the most popular. That wasn't the case for me. I was really apathetic towards food. I ate healthy and made sure I was getting enough for me and the baby but I wasn't particularly ravenous or craving crazy meals while pregnant. Now that the baby is here and I am nursing it is a completely different story.

The newborn stage is a rough stage, especially for a nursing mother. Not only is the baby dependent on you for all of his/her sustenance, you are getting up several times throughout the night and you are always "on call". For me, I was left feeling exhausted, hungry, and craving all the sweets! Add in a husband currently living four hours away and I was starting to feel a little crazy. 

This is where these little nuggets come into place. I can grab a few "bites" and sit down to nurse. I can satiate my sweet tooth and urge to snack all at once. I will admit this idea isn't novel or unique. Everyone has a recipe for energy/protein balls/bites. After a few hours of going through recipes, I couldn't find one that fit everything I wanted in an easy snack and utilized on hand ingredients so I came up with my own recipe. This one uses almond butter and unsalted butter, and leaves out the coconut. 

No Bake Almond Butter "Energy Bites"

ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup of almond butter (mine was a little "dry" since I used homemade so I did 1/3c almond butter and 1/4c unsalted butter. If you use store bought nut butter you don't need the unsalted butter)
• 1/4 c of mini chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp honey 
• 2 Tbsp flax seeds

directions

1. Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. 
2. Chill the mixture for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. 
3. Form the chilled "dough" into 1-inch balls. 
4. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.