Pint-Size: Nutty Protein Bites

To prepare for our busy week of midterms, we whipped up a recipe for a protein-packed grab-&-go snack to keep us on track and away from "stress foods"--known as packaged snacks filled with countless 20-syllable ingredients that realistically won't give you the energy you need to survive midterms! We refuse to let school work interfere with our health & work-out goals so what better way than to pre-prepare healthy snacks! These protein-packed bites are a perfect post-workout snack when we have limited time to squeeze in a work-out, and they are made of wholesome ingredients packing 8 g. of protein per 2 bites! They're the perfect brain breakfast for your 8 am. midterm that, lets face it, you very-well may be late to.

Ingredients: serves 9---serving size: 2 bites

1/2 C. rolled oats
1/2 C. organic red quinoa, cooked
1 ripe banana, pureed
1/4 C. flax meal
1/4 C. sunflower seeds, chopped in a food processor
1/2 C. raw sliced almonds
VEGA ONE french vanilla protein powder (or any 1-scoop of protein powder!)
5 TB. quick egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 TB. honey
1/4 C. Peanut Butter &Co. Crunch Time peanut butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees
I used a mini donut bite pan, but you could use a mini muffin pan. Spray with coconut oil.
in a medium mixing bowl, add the quinoa, flax meal and rolled oats. Mix and put into a food processor and grind until flour-like consistency. Put mixture back in the bowl and add the protein powder. Mix together
combine the ripe banana and egg whites in the processor and puree until smooth, then add to the mixture
using the food processor, chop the sunflower seeds. Add to the mixture along with the almonds and cinnamon
using your hands, mix all ingredients together
add the vanilla, honey, and peanut butter and combine until it becomes a sticky dough
(I like my bites crunchy, but if you want more of a moist consistency, add 1/4 C. almond or soy milk as well!)
scoop 1 TB into each mini donut hole and top with a dash of cinnamon