Quinoa Energy Bites

This morning I was cooking quinoa for our fabulous quinoa salad to have at lunchtime and found that I had some extra quinoa left aside.  Yes, I probably could have just added it to our salad, but then I got thinking… should I keep it aside for my quinoa pancakes to have in the morning, or perhaps I could experiment a little.  For those who know me, know that I’m going to experiment just a little!

The result of experimenting was these delicious protein-packed quinoa energy bites!  Great for children of all ages as the ingredients are simple and easy on tummies.  Plus they are lunchbox friendly – easy enough to pop in your bag when heading out the door, say off to the “hair salon” or any other meeting you might have!  These also work well as a pre-workout or post-workout snack (yes… that includes late-night snacking.  Remember though, to go easy as these babies are nutrient dense, thanks to the majority of the calories coming from the naturally sweet medjool dates.)

Quinoa pronounced “keen-wah” is a grain which looks a little like couscous and is as versatile as rice.  Quinoa can be found in most health food sections of supermarkets nowadays.   This protein-packed grain is gluten free and contains every essential amino acid required for healthy bodies.  Quinoa is high in antioxidants and is an excellent source of fiber, iron, vitamin B, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, magnesium and so many more health benefits.

I always buy both the red and white organic quinoa and then mix them together.  Both have a slightly nutty flavour and both hold their shape well for salads, pancakes and veggie burgers.  I just mix them together for the fun of it!

Next I added to my food processor some delicious medjool dates, raw almonds with their skins on, nut butter of choice and then the quinoa and pulse until ingredients are well mixed.  When you have combined the mixture, transfer to a medium sized bowl and add the choc-chips, stir to combine.   The choc-chips will melt  due to the quinoa being slightly warm.  Roll them into small “golf ball” size balls and then covered them in either crushed raw almonds or some shredded coconut if desired.  Place them in the fridge to set.  They will still be quiet soft at first, however harden up overnight.

I hope you enjoy these energy bites as they are:

• Naturally sweet
• Easy to make
• Protein-packed
• Kind of addicting
• Perfectly sized for snacking
• Healthy and Delicious

If you try this recipe, let me know.  Leave a comment, rate it, tag a picture schiavone360 on instagram.