It’s all about energy today!

For active lifestyles and busy schedules.

This weekend my boyfriend and I are running the St. Louis Go! Half Marathon. Isn’t it funny how great the idea of a spring race sounds in the blistery winter when you sign up for it? With the hopes of training hard and flying past flowers on the way to your PR… but then, before you know it, it’s that coming weekend.

Yeah, that happened to me again.

We also just so happen to be moving this weekend. As I sit in my apartment and write this post, about half of my living room is covered in boxes. So let’s just say I’d rather write this post than pack up my closet.

I think I speak for a lot of us when I say I need healthy snacks to power me through my workouts, work days and busy weekends.

Well, here is a quick no-bake bar that will do the trick! I’m obsessed with the crunch and the chewiness… all at the same time.

I use a few of my favorite ingredients: coconut oil, raw almonds, chia seeds and dates.

I call this endurance food.

Chia Seed Energy Bars

2 tablespoons coconut oil

½ cup chia seeds

¾ cup almonds

8 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

Few dashes of cinnamon (or pure vanilla extract)

Optional add-in: ½ cup unsweetened organic shredded coconut

Directions:

- Pulse the almonds in a food processor with the coconut oil until finely chopped.

- If the dates are drier than usual, soak them for 10 minutes in very hot water. Then, chop them and add the dates to a food processor and pulse until fine and almost a paste. Add in the chia seeds and cinnamon until well combined and the mixture stays together when you pinch it.

- Press the mixture into a square baking pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth out the top with your hands or spatula. Chill for about 30 minutes or you can freeze it for half the time. Then cut into bars and store in a container in your refrigerator.

Time to power through the weekend!

chia seed energy bars {grain-free & sugar-free}