Special K Energy Bites

Are you tired of snacking on foods with too many empty carbs?  These energy bites have lots of protein and other good vitamins and minerals to help carry you through your busy day.  I call them Special K energy bites because in addition to peanut butter, honey, oats, chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds, they contain Special K cereal.  Rich and peanut buttery with a slight crunch, these energy bites are a great combination of healthy and pleasingly delicious.

And they are super-easy to make.  Peanut butter energy bites have been around for awhile, and there are many different versions and recipes out there, including one I posted about a year and a half ago.  I like this version even better because the Special K adds some crunch and flavor (any puffed rice cereal would work).  They have definitely been a hit with my kids (not to mention a with my husband and with me!)

Spring sports have started here, and once again we are in need of on-the-go snacks that deliver taste and healthy energy.  In addition to the protein in peanut butter, there is vitamin E and magnesium, while the pumpkin seeds and chia seeds have magnesium, zinc, iron, and plant-based Omega 3s. Old fashioned rolled oats and Special K contain iron, and lots of other minerals as well.  Of course, chocolate is its own type of health benefit–that has soul-restoring health benefits, and who doesn’t need that?  The energy bites are best if stored in the refrigerator, but if they travel around in your car for a couple hours, that works too, as long as it isn’t a hot day.

The fact that these energy bites don’t need to be baked was an added bonus this week, since my oven was out of commission for a few days.  Have you ever had the heating element inside your oven catch on fire?  That’s what happened here.  One minute I was preheating the oven, the next minute there was a fire inside.  To make a long story short, no one was hurt, the fire stayed in the oven and then went out on its own pretty quickly, we got a new heating element, cleaned the smoke/soot out of the oven, and my husband replaced the old burned one.  But it was a scary few minutes until we knew what was going on!  Apparently, according to the appliance store where we got the oven (and the new heating element), that “just happens” sometimes.  I never knew!

Anyway, there seems to be a theme around here lately–the long electricity outage a couple weeks ago, the thing that heats the oven burning out, not to mention some sickness going through our family.  I feel the sense of a lack of power, a zapping of energy.  It is part of the natural ebb and flow of life, but still, we need to recharge!  These Special K energy bites are a delicious step in that direction.  Our bodies need good, healthy food to fuel them through active days.

In addition, I came across a couple of quotes about energy and power that I like.  The first quote says, instead of searching for energy in outside sources, sometimes we have to find it within ourselves: “The more willing you are to surrender to the energy within you, the more power can flow through you.” ~Shakti Gawain  And according to the second quote, we can create energy by expending energy: “Life begets life.  Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.” ~Sarah Bernhardt  Food is essential to survival, but once we are well fed (and that is no small feat!), there are many ways to find and access energy.  I hope you all have a great weekend, with nourishing food and healthy energy!  Speaking of nourishing food, I will be joining Fiesta Friday soon, hosted this week by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.