I love to experiment in the kitchen but lately am always feeling overwhelmed balancing my career and mommy duties. When I have time to myself, I usually need to answer emails, take phone calls, write a blog post or plan/shoot a video.
Preparing a Pinterest perfect snack or meal is daunting.
I usually start to make something when Tommy is down for a nap. Most of the time he wakes up before I can finish or clean up. As a result, I’ve learned to keep the recipes short and sweet.
T has been waking up at 5/5:30 am this entire week. Fun stuff, guys let me tell you! If you don’t have kids yet, this is not the norm. If you have kids and you too have an early riser, I feel you. Consequently napping for 2 hours in the morning is a new habit ruining any chance I had at moving to one nap but allowing me to actually have fun in the kitchen!
Since I’m always looking for ways to sneak in a little bit more protein and nutrients into my snacks, I’ve been experimenting with my new favorite protein powder. I’ve preferred vegan protein powders for years even though I am not a vegan but some of them taste terribly chalky. I sampled ALOHA about 2 years ago and loved the flavor. It’s one of the best tasting protein powders I’ve tried and most affordable. It’s gluten, dairy, soy and GMO free as well as USDA organic and vegan.
One serving has 18g of protein derived from hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and peas. It also contains 200 mg of omega-3’s and is an excellent source of magnesium and iron. Vegan protein powders also happen to be better for the planet than whey products as it requires less water and energy to produce <- I’ve been trying to eat less meat all around for this exact reason.
So, I made this pretty breakfast this morning. The bottom is part overnight oats, part chia pudding with a scoop of ALOHA Vanilla Protein Powder. The top is a combination of avocado, banana, the chia oat combo and extra Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. This is what happens when you have an extra 20 minutes. When Tommy got shortly after taking this picture, he enjoyed eating the top layer! #Momwin.
For the overnight oats/chia pudding, I did 1/4 cup of chia seeds and 1/4 cup of oats with 2 cups of Unsweetened Almond Milk (sat for 20-30 minutes). For the green layer, I used 1/2 an avocado, 1 whole banana, 1/2 cup of almond milk and 1/2 cup of the oat/chia mix combined well using a blender.
However, I’m going to be honest with you… Tommy was taking a LONG nap. I normally would not make a fun fancy breakfast like this. Instead of I’m usually eating something like an energy ball out the door on my way to spin class.
I’m obsessed with energy balls right now because they really are perfect to eat on the go and are actually filling.
Here is my go to recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to make from start to finish.
Simple Protein Packed Energy Balls
- 1 cup Oats
- 2 scoops ALOHA Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (just peanuts, no sugar added)
- 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1-2 tbsp Honey
- 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips (I used Enjoy Life)
- optional 2 tbsp Water or Nut Milk (I used Vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk)
Combine ingredients in a bowl. I used my hands but you can use a spoon too. Roll about 1 tbsp worth of “dough” into a ball. Eat right away or seal in an airtight container in refrigerator and enjoy for up to a week. Makes 12-14 balls.
I only used 1 tbsp of honey but if you want a sweeter energy ball add 1 or 2 more. You likely will need less water or nut milk. Play with the consistency. If it is too watery, add more protein powder. If it’s too dry, add more water/nut milk.
I may not be making fresh cookies each week but I think I will have to start making more energy balls. They are so easy to make, so delicious and practical to have on hand every day. It also doesn’t hurt that Tommy enjoys them as well.
I’m always trying to find new recipes using protein powder and they always taste like dessert but you feel healthy eating them, right???
What is your go to protein powder recipe?
This post is sponsored by my friends from ALOHA who seriously do make some of my most favorite vegan protein powders and bars. Check them out at a local store near you and also lots of online retailers.
