The trick to being a healthy mom is having an ever stocked freezer. Seriously.

At all times my freezer contains an assortment of our favorite bars, balls, muffins and cookies (cookies are a mom necessity to me!). this is crucial because my daughter is, quite literally, always hungry.

It’s pretty obvious she’s a foodie!

Which means that having a freezer full of snacks is a necessity I can’t ignore because that way there is always something healthy to grab when we’re in a pinch- which is always (life with two is busy… who knew?!).

So energy balls are a pretty big staple to us!

If you’ve been reading my blog consistently, you’ll know that my daughter is obsessed with energy balls. It’s all she asks for.. just about every hour 😛 This means two things:

The first is that I’ve learned to sneak just about every superfood into an energy ball.

The second, is that we go through faaaarrr to many dates 😉

Dates are awesome because they help hold bars together and keep them sweet naturally- so no sugar needed. However, there is such an idea as too much of a good thing 😛

And so these banana energy balls are date free!

They do however, have some awesome ingredients.

These energy balls use bananas and maple syrup to keep them sweet. This not only helps them stay together but it also means there’s no reason for added sugars! I rant slightly often about how unnecessary processed sugars are in a toddlers diet- especially firs thing in the morning before school! All it does is cause a crazy crash and impedes concentration and learning abilities.

Therefore these energy balls are naturally sweetened and really, banana cinnamon is a deliciously decadent combo 😀

Along with the natural sugars, these balls also have some flaxseed and almond butter in them which provides a nice dose of healthy fats. Flaxseed is high in omega three fatty acids which helps to reduce inflammation. And almonds have a lot o nutrients, one of them being calcium which is perfect for growing bodies!

Another fun perk about flaxseeds is that, like chia seeds, they absorb liquid! When combined with water, flax meal creates a gel like substance and can actually replace eggs in many recipes.

So between the flax, brown rice syrup and almond butter these balls are sticky but hold together nicely!

These banana cinnamon balls have a beautiful balance. They contain natural energy boosting sugars to give you a bit of a pick me up but also complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to slow the sugar release and keep you full.

Energy balls keep well in the freezer and mae quick, easy, grab and go snacks. My daughter would eat energy balls all day if she could but it’s nice to know that in them she gets some nutrition!