What do you reach for when you're feeling snacky? Probably whatever you can get your hungry little hands on, right? Which is not always the healthiest of options, I'm sure. I'm not judging. I'm just sympathizing with the throes of poor hungry decision-making.
I try not to buy unhealthy snacks because, naturally, if they're not around the house, I won't eat them. But the downside of healthy snacking is that it can get sort of expensive.
KIND bars are one of my favorite, throw-it-in-your-purse-and-go snacks. So are Pamela's "Whenever Bars" {though, for the love of Pete, I wish they'd revamp their wrappers & packaging}. When I'm needing salty, I like Blue Diamond Nut Thins {although truthfully they contain a few ingredients I could live without}, which keep me from diving head-first into a bag of Doritos. But those little bitty snacks? They add up big time. Is it just me, or do you find that the healthier the snack, the less they put in the bag and the more they charge for it? Maybe keeping the volume at 75% air is what really keeps it healthy? Who knows.
Anyway, after taking inventory of my pantry {Read: raiding the shelves for something to snack on} last week, I realized that I probably have enough random ingredients in there to make my own healthy snack without spending any extra money. So, of course, I started experimenting.
A little bit of this, a little bit of that... a whir in the food processor and, VOILA!, Tropical Energy Bites.
Made with dried mango, cashews, banana chips and flaked coconut, you can feel confident knowing that there's nothing creepy lurking in your snacks. {Just be careful when purchasing dried fruit and make sure that the ingredient list is up to par -- some of them can get very heavy on the sweetness.} Yes, there's some sugar in these as I just used what we had on hand, but I still consider these better than devouring a row of Oreos. Additionally, it is possible to find dried fruit with no added sugar if you look hard enough {I'd start the search at Whole Foods or another health food store for best results.}
This recipe {which makes a small batch} made 30 bite-sized energy balls that are ideal for tossing into a snack bag and taking for the road, but you could easily double the recipe for a treat that will last a little longer or feed more people.
I'm pretty proud of myself for whipping up something healthy with stuff I already have -- a penny saved is a penny earned, after all. And I'd rather spend my pennies on something cute, like this. :)
{No Bake} Tropical Energy Bites
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
1/3 cup banana chips
1/4 cup dried mango {unsweetened if possible}
1/4 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes
3 tablespoons almond butter
2 heaping tablespoons honey
1. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until mostly ground and combined. A ball should start to form with the mixture.
2. Once ground to desired consistency, scoop out the mixture by the teaspoon-full and roll into bite-sized balls.
3. Refrigerate to harden a bit if desired. Store in an airtight container.
