After the last patient leaves, the last clinical note is written, and last light is shut off, I go to my next job...MOM. With four kids in various activities every evening, I needed to come up with a easy, healthy snack that we can grab on the run. So, when I discovered how easy it was to make these protein balls, it became one of the staples in our fridge. I found a base recipe, but have changed it over the years after researching ingredients. Each protein ball is full of nutrients and they are SO delicious! I hope you enjoy!
Dr. Jones' Protein Balls
Ingredients
2 cups - Old Fashioned oats
1/2-2/3 cup - Peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter of your choice)
1/3 cup - Ground flaxseed (whole flax does not digest)
*You can buy milled, or you can get whole and grind them when needed
2/3 cup - Hemp Hearts
1/4 cup - Chia seeds
2/3 cup - Honey
1/2 cup - Dark chocolate chips
1 TBSP. - Vanilla extract
Instructions
Add everything to a bowl and mix to combine with a spoon and your hands . You can play with the amounts of each to make it to your liking. I'd say we vary the amount of peanut butter, oats and honey sometimes to make it more or less "dry" or "sticky" as needed. Honestly, we've made them so many times, we don't measure very closely anymore, and just eyeball how much to throw in the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and put in fridge to let chill for 30-60 minutes. We usually skip this step in the interest of time, and just roll the mix into the balls right away. But sometimes it's easier and a little less messy and sticky if you chill the mix before making the balls...your call.
Measure out one heaping tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball. Place balls on cookie sheet. Put cookie sheet into freezer for about at least an hour, but longer is fine! Once they are chilled, you can transfer them into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-weeks. You can also freeze them, but they go too fast in my family to try! We keep some in the freezer so that they can go in the kids lunch boxes and then they are a good temp by the time they eat lunch. We usually make a double batch of this recipe each week.
Shopping tips: We buy all of these ingredients in bulk at Costco so they are a lot less expensive and we can have bigger quantities. But you can usually find ground flax, chia and hemp hearts in the health food section of your local grocery store, or at a store like Sprouts or Whole Foods. Once you've opened your flax, chia and hemp hearts, store them in the refrigerator and keep an eye on the expiration date.
Health benefits:
*Flax: high in Omega-3 fats, dietary fiber and protein
*Chia seeds: Omega-3 fats, dietary fiber, antioxidants, iron and calcium
*Hemp Hearts: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, micro-nutrients and protein
Ingredients
2 cups - Old Fashioned oats
1/2-2/3 cup - Peanut butter (or other nut/seed butter of your choice)
1/3 cup - Ground flaxseed (whole flax does not digest)
*You can buy milled, or you can get whole and grind them when needed
2/3 cup - Hemp Hearts
1/4 cup - Chia seeds
2/3 cup - Honey
1/2 cup - Dark chocolate chips
1 TBSP. - Vanilla extract
Instructions
Add everything to a bowl and mix to combine with a spoon and your hands . You can play with the amounts of each to make it to your liking. I'd say we vary the amount of peanut butter, oats and honey sometimes to make it more or less "dry" or "sticky" as needed. Honestly, we've made them so many times, we don't measure very closely anymore, and just eyeball how much to throw in the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and put in fridge to let chill for 30-60 minutes. We usually skip this step in the interest of time, and just roll the mix into the balls right away. But sometimes it's easier and a little less messy and sticky if you chill the mix before making the balls...your call.
Measure out one heaping tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball. Place balls on cookie sheet. Put cookie sheet into freezer for about at least an hour, but longer is fine! Once they are chilled, you can transfer them into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2-weeks. You can also freeze them, but they go too fast in my family to try! We keep some in the freezer so that they can go in the kids lunch boxes and then they are a good temp by the time they eat lunch. We usually make a double batch of this recipe each week.
Shopping tips: We buy all of these ingredients in bulk at Costco so they are a lot less expensive and we can have bigger quantities. But you can usually find ground flax, chia and hemp hearts in the health food section of your local grocery store, or at a store like Sprouts or Whole Foods. Once you've opened your flax, chia and hemp hearts, store them in the refrigerator and keep an eye on the expiration date.
Health benefits:
*Flax: high in Omega-3 fats, dietary fiber and protein
*Chia seeds: Omega-3 fats, dietary fiber, antioxidants, iron and calcium
*Hemp Hearts: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, micro-nutrients and protein
Check our Dr. Jones and her husband, Tim, make protein balls below:
