Name: healthy peanut butter balls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter (or any nut butter); 2 c. old fashioned oats (dry); 1/2 c. honey; 1/2 c. chopped dried cherries; 1/2 c. chopped dried apricots; 1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

After trying on my jeans the other day since living in my pajamas for the past two months, I realized I need to get into better shape. These healthy peanut butter balls have been my salvation while trying eat healthier snacks and cut out some of the sugar and processed crap in my diet.

It’s so easy to let snacking get out of control while being at home all the time. They don’t call it the “Quarantine 15” for nothing, you know. Currently, I’m at the “Quarantine 6” and not too happy with myself. With all my “spare time”, I was supposed to get in the best shape of my life, learn a new language, write a best-selling novel. Not gain weight, binge-watch Netflix, go gray and only shower on occasion.

These are simple to make using healthy ingredients. I make a batch of these on Sunday night and keep them in a big baggie in the freezer to grab when hunger strikes, usually late afternoon while making dinner. They stop my belly from growling and picking through dinner prep. Not to mention, they give me some great fuel while I exercise.

Healthy Ingredients

Oatmeal is a whole grain and has so many health benefits. It maintains blood sugar control, satisfies your appetite, can help lower the bad “LDL” cholesterol, maintain a healthy blood pressure and lowers risk of heart disease. The USDA recommends at least 3-5 servings of whole grain food every day.

Peanut butter is high in healthy unsaturated fats and contains a significant amount of protein, minerals and some vitamins. After doing a Whole30, I learned that peanuts and I don’t get along well. So I swapped out the peanut butter for almond butter. I haven’t tried other nut butters or sun butter, but I think they would work great.

Honey contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is sweeter than sugar and has a healthy Glycemic Index.

Dried cherries are a good source of copper, Vitamin C and Vitamin A. And apricots and prunes are rich in potassium, dietary fiber and iron.

And yes even those little chocolate chips are good for you. Flavenols increase blood flow, shown to be a benefit to your brain, polyphenols have been shown to increase good “HDL” cholesterol and mixed with a glass of red wine has been shown to reduce inflammation. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Simple, One-Bowl, No-Bake Snacks

Health benefits aside. These babies are super simple and contain only a few ingredients all mixed together in one bowl. Yeah baby! You know I love easy recipes. You can also switch it up and throw in whatever you want. Use the nut butter, oats and honey as a base and feel free to throw in any kind of dried fruit you have on hand. Raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, prunes, coconut, maybe even some sunflower seeds and amaranth.

Let me know what kind of things you put in yours.