A quick, easy, delicious snack ball made with peanut butter, seeds and honey that can be stored in the freezer.
Hungry People
My children are hungry little people. I feed them well-balanced, wholesome meals and they eat good amounts at each meal. But it seems like no matter how much I try to stuff them full at meal times, inevitably they are hungry again within a couple hours.
I think it is probably just a kid thing and I have come to terms with it. However, coming to terms with it means I also need a plan so I’m not floundering every few hours for more food to feed the masses at my house.
Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
The first snacks that I steer my children to are fruits and vegetables. They love them and eat through gobs of them, if I have them available.
They especially love apples, grapes, cuties, snap peas, raspberries, mangoes, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers, pears, mulberries (pictured below from our tree), pineapples, watermelon, celery, and honeydew. Try different kinds and eat them when they are in season and ripe.
I had a friend who thought she hated mango. Turns out she had never had a ripe mango before. Unripe mangoes are not delicious but ripe ones are like nectar from the gods! If you don’t know how to pick certain fruit – look up a video.
Tips for Getting Kids (and Adults) to Eat More Fruits and Veggies
#1 – Tip number one is to cut up your fruits and veggies and have them sitting out on the counter. If kids can grab them without a second thought, they will.
#2 – Tip number two is to add a dip or a seasoning. We love this apple dip (it’s secretly made with beans) for apples. Peanut butter is great with bananas. Some kids will gobble up veggies, if they can dip them (this is our favorite ranch dip). My daughter loves lime juice on her cucumbers. If the dip or seasoning adds nutritional benefit, awesome! If it is full of garbage, don’t serve it (or buy it for that matter).
#3 – Tip number three is don’t have processed foods available. If there are sliced up crisp and juicy apples sitting on your counter but you have a basket full of chips, cookies, and fruit snacks that they have constant access to, most kids will grab a bag and skip the apples. Copious amounts of sugar and salt are an amazing lure.
A Little Something More
These seeded peanut butter balls are great when you just need a little something more than the fruit slices or carrot sticks, because it does definitely happen. These balls have a good amount of protein and fiber that will stick to you.
I typically use the arrowroot powder in this recipe because I have mixed feelings about most protein powders. I like the pea protein powder because it is just one ingredient. Use what you love or have on hand.
Keeping these in the freezer makes them easy to store and save for when hunger strikes. I like to double or triple this batch so they last longer than a day around here.
Seeded Peanut Butter Ball
Makes about 20 – 1 tablespoon balls
1 cup peanut butter (or other allergy friendly option)
1/2 cup honey (raw is best)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or protein powder
2 teaspoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon flax meal
Stir everything together well. I use a tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the balls on to a freezer friendly plate but you can just roll a blob together with your hands if you don’t have a cookie scoop.
Place the plate in the freezer for about an hour. Remove the balls into a freezer friendly container or bag. Label. Lasts about a month in the freezer.
