Protein Oatmeal Bowl and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Energy Bites

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Start strong and fuel yourself well with a nourishing and delicious breakfast. Packed with plenty of protein and fiber, this Protein Oatmeal Bowl is a balanced, good-for-you start that will leave you energized and full for hours. Quick and easy to make, it’s just the thing for busy mornings when you need to eat healthy in a hurry. 

Eating a breakfast made at home is the first smart move you can make every day. Your meal will have a lot less fat and many less calories, plus it will be seriously less expensive. If you have allergies or sensitivities, there’s no worry. For those who are dairy-free, make your bowl using water or any plant milk that you like. If you are gluten-free, use gluten-free oats. If you’d like to bump the protein a little further, add more egg whites, or consider using an enhanced protein milk such as Fair Life.

You can also use whole eggs, but using only egg whites increases the protein without adding any saturated fat. If you’d like to go the whole egg route, use 1 whole egg, or 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white. If you are using a processed liquid egg product, 2 tablespoons equals 1 large egg white, so for this recipe you would use 6 tablespoons. You can use as much as 1/2 cup of liquid egg whites. I tried doing this just to be sure, and it came out just fine. 

I added some lemon zest to the batch I made with just blueberries (delish!) and tried a little almond extract (even better!) to the blueberry peach batch. Stir in whatever moves you – cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, orange zest. Dress it up with a swirl of nut or seed butter, or garnish with nuts, seeds, or granola. Remember – your bowl, your rules. 

Next, be ready with some healthy snacks with these easy to make Chocolate-Peanut Butter Energy Bites. Fudgy and delicious, they’re made with nut butter, rolled oats, flax, chia seeds and cocoa powder – whole food ingredients that are energizing and nutritious. I used date paste as a sweetener in this recipe, but you could swap in maple syrup or honey if you like. Remember to mist your measuring cup and spoons with a little nonstick oil spray before measuring so your nut butter will glide out seamlessly and not stick. If your peanut butter is stiff, microwave it for 20 seconds before adding it to the oat mixture. 

Quick and relatively cheap to make, Date Paste is a healthy sweetener that’s packed with nutrients. With it’s rich, caramel-like natural sweetness, it works well in drinks, desserts, and baking and is a great substitute for sugar and syrups. Compared with maple syrup and cane sugar, it’s low in sugar and unlike many other sweeteners, date paste provides a lot of fiber.

To use it in drinks, you will need to add about one and a half or even two times the amount of date paste, as it isn’t as sweet as sugar, maple syrup, or agave. For baked goods, try the same ratio, but know that the moisture from the date paste can affect baking results. For this reason, try it in a recipe that already uses liquid sweeteners or specifically calls for date paste, like a vegan avocado chocolate mousse or a vegan chocolate pie. Or, use it to sweeten your oatmeal or make a better for you pumpkin spice latte. Try it any place that needs a little sweetening and get a nutritional boost at the same time.  

Any kind of pitted dates will work, but do be sure to check for pits before blending. Even if the packaging states that the dates are pitted, you can still occasionally end up finding one with a stone. If you have a powerful blender, you can skip the soaking step and just blend the dates and hot water together. Store date paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it will keep up to 3 months. 

Protein Oatmeal Bowl

• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten (6 Tablespoons liquid egg whites or egg product)
• 1/4 cup water or milk of choice (dairy-free, if needed)
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick oats (gluten-free, if needed)
• 1 cup frozen or fresh mixed berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
• 1-2 teaspoons sweetener, optional (honey, maple syrup, monk fruit, or stevia)

Add eggs to a deep microwave-safe bowl and lightly beat with a fork. Stir in milk or water, then add oats and berries, stirring well to break up any frozen berry clusters and ensure that everything is evenly mixed.  

Place a paper towel over the bowl to prevent spatters. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir to combine. Add sweetener, if desired, to taste.  

–joybauer.com

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Energy Bites 

makes 25 (1-inch) balls

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking oats)
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds (or flaxseed meal)
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 Tablespoon hot water
• 3 Tablespoons date paste or maple syrup 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons mini semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine oats, cocoa powder, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, salt and cinnamon, if using. Whisk to combine.

In a larger bowl, combine nut butter, hot water, date paste or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add dry oat mixture to wet nut butter mixture bowl and using a rubber spatula, mix until well combined (batter will resemble a stiff cookie dough).

Gently mix in chocolate chips, if using, so they’re well distributed throughout the batter. Shape into 20-25 (1-inch) balls (a bit smaller than golf ball size, about 1 tablespoon worth). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

–joybauer.com

Date Paste

• 1 cup tightly packed dates, pitted (about 5oz or 150g)
• 3/4 cup hot, recently boiled water

Add dates to blender cup and cover with hot water. Let soak for 10 minutes. Blend for about one minute (turn power to high as soon as possible – dates will break down faster and get less stuck in blender). Scrape down sides of jug as needed. 

Stop blending when you have a smooth paste. Pour into a lidded glass jar and refrigerate. Store airtight and refrigerated up to 3 months. 

-vancouverwithlove.com