Nicole Beurkens

America’s Most Trusted Child Psychologist

search-icon-nav

Energy Bites – A Healthy Breakfast or Snack for Kids

Energy bites are a healthy breakfast or snack

At my house breakfast is non-negotiable, it is so important for kids (and adults) to start the day with food that fuels the brain and body.

My kids are now at the ages where they have no interest in getting up any earlier than absolutely necessary, which means breakfast options need to be healthy, fast, and easy. It can be a challenge to find options that meet all of these requirements, and in our case that are also gluten and dairy free. Enter Energy Bites! These delicious bites are filled with protein, fiber, and nutrients to start the day off right, without spiking blood sugar or consuming a bunch of artificial chemicals. They are great for days when you don’t want to spend time cooking something in the morning, and make great snacks throughout the day as well.

I’ve played around with a bunch of ways to make these based on various recipes I have come across. What I’m sharing here is the basic recipe I use most often. The great thing about this recipe is you can add or subtract things based on what you have on hand at the time. If you have some nuts in the house you can crush them up and add them to the mixture (the batch pictured below has pecan chips and crushed cashews in it). You can use whatever nut butter you have on hand, and even add a few chocolate chips if you want something a tad sweeter (although I wouldn’t recommend that for a breakfast option). I’ve also added things like raisins, dried cranberries, and dried apple chunks. You really can’t go wrong, so experiment with adding things your kids might like and change it up each time to avoid getting burned out on them.

Energy Bites Recipe

1 cup gluten-free oats

2/3 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)

½ cup ground flax seeds

1 Tbsp. chia seeds

½ cup nut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Instructions:

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add nut butter, honey, and vanilla.

Mix well with rubber spatula or hands.

Cover bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Roll into bite-sized balls.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Note: One batch makes approximately 20 1” balls. I have a family of 6 so I triple the recipe to make lots more of these at a time.

Have you made these for your kids? Share your recipe and variations below so we can all get new ideas to try!

What You Should Do Next:

Sign up for my Better Behavior Naturally community newsletter

Sign up for my newsletter to get tips, resources, and supports to improve your child’s attention, anxiety, mood, and behavior…while making your job as a parent easier.

Enroll in one of my workshops

Check out one of my many workshops where you’ll join my exclusive community of parents in a one-of-a-kind virtual resource accessible 24/7. Whether you’ve got a child with a diagnosis like autism or ADHD, or are becoming more and more frustrated with a child who struggles to listen and cope, these workshops are designed to give you the information, tools, and support you need…whenever you need it.

share this article

Related Posts

School Consult

School Consultation Highlights: What is Going Right

I’ll be honest. I was not looking forward to the 3-hour school consultation on my schedule for one morning recently. ...
Read Post
Contagious Stress

Contagious Stress

Stress is no stranger to parents of children with special needs; but did you know that new research shows stress ...
Read Post
Autism Spectrum Disorder More Than Genes

Research Review: Autism Spectrum Disorder – More Than Just Genes

An important study released this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that environmental factors play a ...
Read Post