Stir It Up! » Blog

Masthead header

Snacks are SO hard!! But wait…there’s help.

Planning food can be tough. But I think most of us get meals….it’s the healthy snacks that are so tricky! Unfortunately most conveniently packaged store-bought snacks are highly refined with preservatives, added sugar and less than ideal (and sometimes even unpronounceable) ingredients. But finding good, healthy, kid (and adult) approved snacks to make can be a challenge as well. I mean have you ever had to come up with, say, 100 really tasty, healthy Paleo snacks? And, then, get these snacks sampled and approved by friends, neighbors and even the pickiest of eaters? You see where I am going with this, right? 🙂

I am really excited and proud to announce Super Paleo Snacks, a book I have been working very hard on for the past nine months. And, as of today, it is now available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indie Bound, Indigo, and Bookish!

Here are a few pictures of some of the snacks that will be in the book!! What’s so fun about these recipes is that while you will see something like “brownies” in the snack book, you will learn that brownies (like some other snacks) don’t have to be just for desserts or special occasions. Brownie CAN be a great snack, low in sugar, high in healthy fats and protein!

Super Paleo Snacks book

Food has a purpose, especially snacks, and if we eat the right foods, it can help us to focus & concentrate, have balanced energy, and keep us full until the next meal. All of my recipes are gluten free, most are low glycemic (so we’ll have sustained energy and won’t get hungry too soon after), many are nut-free (even excluding the nut free section) and most take under 15 minutes to prepare! The chapters are broken out into different times of the day so you can use the right snacks to your benefit. The chapters include snacks for:

  • At Home
  • At Work/School
  • Pre-workout/Exercise/Sports
  • On-the-Road (For commuting, carpool or road trips)
  • Nut Free
  • Sweet Treats

I will share some of the snack recipes this fall but for today, I wanted to share a new snack that my daughter loves. She said “instead of granola bars they are granola balls”.  To be honest, my son isn’t a huge fan of this snack (he “likes them but doesn’t love them”), but Alice, who can be picky about snacks, absolutely loves them.  I don’t usually eat oats but I tried them and think they are really good, too! They’re so easy to make and perfect for a on-the -go snack like a road trip for Labor Day.

stiritup.me_DSC4288Untitled-1

Okay before you look at the ingredients and scoff at the Coconut Nectar 🙂 , please, give it a chance.

 

You can get it at Whole Foods, Amazon or Vitacost for about $7, the same price as honey and even less than maple. I love this stuff!  It is fabulous not only because it’s one of the only liquid sweeteners that is low glycemic and low in fructose (as opposted to agave nectar that has more fructose than HFCS – high fructose corn syrup) but it also has 17 amino acids and it is loaded with nutrients like Vitamins B and C. It’s worth a try! While it doesn’t necessarily smell sweet when you open the bottle, it makes any snack taste amazing!

Chocolate Chip Granola Balls
 
Author: stiritup.me
Prep time:
Total time:
Ingredients
  • 1 cup gluten free quick cook oats (we use Bob's Red Mill Quick Cooking)
  • 1/4 cup almond or peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup coconut nectar (or maple or honey)
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (may not need if you use maple or honey)
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp slivered almonds
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Then add the coconut nectar (or maple or honey) and peanut butter and combine everything together. As your hands get messy, it gets harder to roll into balls. Once you've mixed it, wash my hands off and stick the bowl in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. Then, start to use both hands to roll into golf ball sized snacks and set aside or enjoy immediately. If they feel a little dry or crumbly at all, just add some extra nectar and nut butter. Stores well in the fridge for about 5- 7 days.
 

  • Lori - I made these last night just as directed (yes, tried and loved the coconut nectar) and they were delicious – thanks for sharing! Mine seemed to fall apart and crumble in my hands when trying to make into balls, even after refrigerating. Any suggestions to hold them together better so that they roll into “pretty” balls like yours? I just tried to put the crumbles together the best I could and I put them in the freezer to hold. Looks like yours also have almond slivers – yum!ReplyCancel

  • landriav - Hey there Lori!! Hmm. That is so odd!! Im so sorry yours didnt stick! I’ve made them a couple of times now and have not had that problem at all. They’re actually pretty solid little balls. Maybe add a little extra nut butter or nectar? I’ll make them again soon to triple check the consistency and recipe. Glad you liked the taste though! Oh and yes, one time we did almond slivers in them and that was a nice addition! Thanks for commenting!ReplyCancel

  • Kelsey - Is there supposed to be an egg in this recipe?ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hi Kelsey, no, it’s a raw recipe. You could cook it if you wanted I’m sure with egg and a touch a baking soda, but no the original recipe doesn’t call for egg. If it’s dry at all, just add more nut butter or nectar/maple.ReplyCancel

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

*

*

Rate this recipe: