Chocolate Macaroon Protein Bites

Happy Monday Ya’ll!!

My weekend is always filled with lots of chores I am trying to check off and we had a few events to attend this weekend. I didn’t get to my yard work like I wanted to, but I did get an hour or so in my flower beds and garden to weed. It was a start.

This week I hope to get in the yard, while working on some plans for clients. It’s been fun watching clients from afar meet goals and fit in running and strength while being a mom and wife. I also enjoy being able to cheer on clients here at races. It’s inspiring seeing all the hard work dedication & achieved goals.

Today’s post is brought to you by short and sweet 😉

So, you know how I made and shared those wonderful, rich and smooth Chocolate Coconut Macaroons? Well when I made those I then decided that they would be wonderful in a protein bite version. All I needed to do was change a few ingredients and add in some protein powder. I also added in some maca powder for some added energy as well. The shredded coconut gives them a nice crunch, and the protein powder with nut butter gives them a great firm texture that is filling and perfect for fueling workouts or for recovery and snacks.

I guess you could say that the past few weeks I have been in a chocolate and coconut mood. I also felt like creating a new flavor of protein bites to snack on for the week, and also was craving energy, if that’s even possible. As a parent, energy and sleep are definitely craved. And as my marathon training has hit it’s peak and will be in peak form for the next few weeks, energy and sleep are valuable.

I have been working on my post run recovery meals / snacks, so protein bites are a hit in my house, among all of us. I loved having the chocolate coconut flavor of a macaroon, while having the protein needed to aid the recovery process. They also work as a great dessert or snack for R and Marc, and I even enjoy them when I am craving something sweet. So, in short they are versatile and can be used anyway you want to use them, snack, dessert, recovery or fuel.

The best part of protein bites, is they are easy to whip up, only require a bowl and spoon, thus less to clean up, and you can snack on the mixture while making the bites. I don’t know about ya’ll, but I love to snack while I bake or cook. It’s probably because as a young child, I was constantly eating. My aunts and uncles would joke that they would have to feed me my first dinner while making the actual dinner or lunch, and then I would continue my second dinner eating off everyone’s plates once they left the table. What can I say, I had a growing appetite. My appetite grew, while the rest of me didn’t. 😉 The habit of eating dinner while making dinner has stuck, especially why nursing. I find myself snacking all throughout the day to meet the demands of a high metabolism, high mileage & nursing.

Health snacks are important, thus the need for protein bites to always be stocked in our house.