honey oat balls

Keeping with yesterday’s theme of Sunbutter, here is a recipe for honey oat balls!  I used Sunbutter, honey, flax and oats for these protein packed snacks!

Honey Oat Balls ~gluten-free, dairy-free~

They make a great on-the-go breakfast or are great to eat after exercising.  The combination of protein and carbohydrates stimulates insulin to be made, which will bring glucose and amino acids into the muscles for recovery.

Honey Oat Balls

3 cups old fashioned oats (not quick oats!)

1 cup Sunbutter (any nut butter would work!)

1 cup honey

1/2 cup flax meal

1/2 cup rasins

honey oat balls ~ gluten-free, dairy-free~

-In a saucepan over very low heat, melt Sunbutter and stir in honey.

-Remove from the heat and add oats, flax and raisins.  Mix well.

-Roll into bite-sized balls and chill.

-Enjoy!

honey oat balls ~gluten-free, dairy-free~

You can also add chocolate chips to make a healthy dessert!

honey mustard dip (sneaky beans!)

Kids love to dip their food!  Dips are a great way to entice children to eat fruits and vegetables.  Instead of giving them unhealthy cream based dips try this dip instead!

It contains a secret ingredient that’s so good for them…beans!

honey mustard dip

Not only are beans loaded with fiber and protein, they are a great source of iron which is often deficient in a child’s diet.  They are also a great source of phosphorus, magnesium and potassium….all important for those little growing bodies!

This dip paired nicely with oat bran pretzels and baby carrots however, it would make a great spread on a veggie or turkey sandwich!

honey mustard dip3

Honey Mustard Dip

1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons yellow mustard (preferrable organic, gluten free)

3 tablespoons raw honey

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

honey mustard dip1

-Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy.

note: children under the age of one should not have honey because it may contain spores of clostridium botulinum which causes botulism.

my nephew Christopher...my toughest critic!

my nephew Christopher…my toughest critic!

For more kid-approved recipes join me this Saturday at GLOW Yoga for a Toddler Nutrition Class!

Go to www.beginwithinnutrition.com for more information!

lemon cilantro hummus

I am up to my ears in cilantro!  It is growing so fast and we can’t eat it fast enough!  I wish I could say the same is true for the rest of our veggies but something has been munching on the beans, red leaf lettuce and kale :(

I’ve been adding cilantro to salads, juices and soups but today I decided to throw it in hummus instead.  Hummus is so easy to make at home!  Not to mention it’s a lot cheaper!  Traditional hummus uses tahini, which is ground sesame seeds.  To most, sesame seeds are just “decoration” on bagels but they carry a lot of nutritional benefits.

sesame

Sesame seeds are believed to be one of the oldest foods dating back to prehistoric times.  Egyptians used sesame as medicine around 1500 B.C. and the oil was considered sacred.  Sesame seeds were first introduced to the United States in the 17th century.  They contain fiber, monounsaturated fats, minerals (iron and calcium) and a  lot of protein including the amino acids methionine and tryptophan.

However, the superstar of sesame seeds are lignans, an antioxidant that inhibits cholesterol to be manufactured in the liver as well as reducing the absorption of cholesterol from the diet.  This is good news for those who have high cholesterol!

Also, in Chinese medicine sesame seeds are believed to increase milk production in breastfeeding mothers.

Sesame seeds can be added to salads, granola, baked goods or in the form of tahini which is great in hummus and salad dressing.

cilantro lemon hummus1

Lemon Cilantro Hummus

1 can chickpeas

1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

1/4 cup liquid from canned chickpeas

1/4 cup olive oil

juice from one lemon

3 heaping tablespoons tahini

1 large garlic clove

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro lemon hummus

-Reserve 1/4 cup of liquid from canned chickpeas.

-Drain and rinse chickpeas and place in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients.

-Blend until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides.

-Add salt and pepper to taste.

cilantro lemon hummus2

Somebody really like wearing it…I mean eating it!

www.beginwithinnutrition.com