While I was pregnant with my first, I knew I needed to prioritize my protein intake while moving my diet towards being as sugar free as possible. Queue the most amazing, healthy, easy, no bake, protein balls with peanut butter, coconut, and oats! Below, I'll share my go to energy ball recipe for one of the best snacks for pregnancy and tips on customizing these for your own taste buds! These also make a perfect postpartum snack for new moms – and a great snack for toddlers older than 1 years old!
I love energy balls like this and consider is one of the best snacks for pregnancy because you get protein, a carb, are refined sugar free, and pack way more nutrition and healthy ingredients than store bought protein bars. They are REALLY easy to make, and you can store in the fridge for a couple weeks or freezer for a few months!
During my third trimester, I made about 3-4 servings worth and stored them in the freezer as a quick – grab-n-go – postpartum snack. Now my almost 2 year old asks for these ALL the time too and I much prefer giving her these than a store bought trail mix/granola or cereal.
Tips + thoughts for choosing ingredients and customizing these no bake protein balls:
Oats
Opt for a gluten free sprouted oat like this brand. Sprouted grains digest a little easier – helpful if you're struggling with any constipation or nausea while pregnant. And gluten is inflammatory, so even if you aren't necessarily sensitive, I believe anyway we can cut gluten with actual REAL ingredients (I'm not talking swapping gluten for the sake of swapping gluten just to add another inflammatory alternative into our diet), is a win in my book.
You can save 24% on them shopping through Thrive Market here!
Ground golden flaxseed
Don't skip this (shop it here!)! Especially if you've struggled with pregnancy constipation at all! This will keep things moving and pack some extra nutrients into your energy balls! Plus if you're enjoying my healthy pregnancy smoothie, you'll already have this ingredient at home!
Chia Seeds
A lot of people following a standard Western diet are getting way too much Omega-6's in their diets and not enough Omega-3s. Chia seeds pack a healthy dose of Omega-3s, plus protein, fiber, antioxidants, and are an all around nutrient dense source to add to your diet!
Save 50% on organic chia seeds here! Or shop on Amazon here!
Honey
Honey will help bind the balls together, while also providing a refined sugar free sweetener to your protein balls.
NOTE: the honey is why these are not safe for children under 1 years old. Talk with your pediatrician more about this.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is not only delicious but it also helps lower and stabilize blood sugar! Because of the honey an dried fruit in this recipe it can help keep your blood sugar stable. It's also been considered a great preventive measure for diabetes if you're nervous about gestational diabetes. Personally, I add it to my morning coffee or if I have a medjool date stuffed with peanut butter.
Dried fruits / chocolate…
I opt for dried fruits over chocolate. If you do want chocolate in these, I'd suggest this brand since it's refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, no cane sugar, no “natural flavors,” no stevia, and are just all around a really clean organic chocolate with just 3 ingredients! You can also shop them on Thrive Market to save some money!
For dried fruits I used raisins and shredded coconut. Raisins are great for iron deficiencies – something a lot of pregnant women struggle with and pack a good amount of calories.
Coconut is a food you want to eat in moderation. It's rich in fiber and MCTs, which has been said to help with heart health, diabetes, and more.
Personally, we tried to eat at least a variety of 30 different fruits and vegetables each week to support a healthy gut flora. So the addition of the coconut is a no brainer for us.
You can swap out these fruits for whatever you'd like though!
Sugar Free EASY No Bake Protein Balls Recipe For Energy With Peanut butter, Oats, + Coconut
An easy, no bake, protein energy ball recipe for pregnancy and postpartum that is refined sugar free, with peanut butter, oats, and coconut! Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Roll the "batter" into balls. If you find the batter is too sticky to roll into balls, you may want to chill for at least 30 minutes. Store in fridge or freezer.Sugar Free EASY No Bake Protein Balls Recipe For Energy With Peanut butter, Oats, + Coconut
Ingredients
Instructions
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