More Energy and Nature Valley™ Protein Granola Energy Balls Recipe

FTC disclosure:   This post was sponsored by Nature Valley™ through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Nature Valley™ Protein Granola, all opinions are my own.

I was on vacation this past week and ate everything under the sun.  So imagine my fear getting back to it in boot camp which is high intensity after slouching for a week.  My body talks to me and when I don’t eat right, my energy level is impacted.

Soooo knowing this, my fear wasn’t going, it was what he was going to have us doing once we get there.  I always worry about running out of energy on those sprint drills.  Knowing this is in the works, it is imperative you hydrate and have enough energy to PUSH THROUGH the tough workouts.

And once you finish there at 6:30 am, when most of the world is still asleep, you still have a full day of work to go to.  It doesn’t get any easier, my job requires full attention at all times plus communicating and working with all types of people for the entire day.  So I need energy to stay alert on the various conference calls and to stave off the nagging hunger pangs that end up creeping in because my body’s metabolism is just on fire after my intense workouts.

I have tried all types of energy and sports bars but quite honestly – they never sit well in my stomach and they never taste fresh.  They also seem to just sit in my gut like a brick that I can’t pass and eventually I start feeling less energetic and more and more uncomfortable.  Nope, I had to take matters into my own hands so I doctored up an energy bar recipe using Nature Valley™ Protein Granola Peanut Butter ‘N Dark Chocolate.

If you didn’t know ½ cup Nature Valley™ Protein Granola provides 10 grams of protein and 22-26 grams of whole grain, at least 48 grams of whole grain recommended daily.  Also, who doesn’t love peanut butter mixed with chocolate?

I made these for many reasons:

1.  I wanted something quick and easy to pick up and go

2.  I wanted something that would give me energy when I start feeling tired

3.  I wanted something easy to make

This recipe satisfies all of these wants I had and are absolutely DELICIOUS!!!!!!  The Nature Valley™ Protein Granola puts it over the top because it blends perfectly with the other ingredients.  I normally pop one of these in my mouth around 2:00 pm right when my lunch starts to wear off and the stomach starts growling.  This nice little energy treat holds me until the end of the day and puts some pep in my step.

Ingredients

1 cup dry oatmeal

2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes

1/2 cup Nature Valley™ Protein Granola

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I would use dark chocolate chunks next time)

1/3 cup raw honey

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Stir all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.  Grease bar pan with extra virgin coconut oil.  Scoop 1 TB of mixture and form balls and place in bar pan.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.  Once thoroughly chilled ENJOY!

What energy foods do you eat to help give you a lift during a long and busy day?