Banana Bread Fit Bites
I’ve mentioned before that I teach at the local community college helping out with the fire cadets. I dish out a strength program to get them ready to pass their physical test for becoming fire fighters.
Some days with those fire cadets are great. We get a great workout in, we have fun, we laugh, life is good. Other days, however, they’re whiny, major complainers, they don’t listen, and they’re loud. They’re also a pretty young group of 20 guys, one girl. Needless to say, the guys (ages 19 to 25) are a little immature sometimes.
Yesterday I decided to make some goodies to reward them for all the hard work they’ve been putting into their trainings and to help refuel them after the workout. Being as sweets are my specialty (and favorite) I went with a simple recipe filled with all natural ingredients, raw nutrients, and a delicious flavor-filled combination. The perfect recipe to replenish any muscle needing energy.
Behold the Banana Bread Fit Bite. So small and dainty, even a fire cadet would eat it… or two. And then request more.
I think they liked them by the thank you’s I was given and the lack of whining that went on yesterday.
Or was that because they were given a Gag Order for the week?
Banana Bread Fit Bites
makes 30 bites to refuel a hard workout
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 cup banana chips (unsweetened, if possible)
- 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (I used whey)
- 5 dates
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 4 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Add almonds and walnuts to a food processor and pulse until almost completely broken down. Add banana chips through cinnamon on the ingredient list and process again, making sure to stop and scrape sides, as needed. Continue to pulse the mixture until a batter starts to form. Add more honey or vanilla extract if “batter” isn’t quite sticking together.
Form into small balls and place in refrigerator or freezer for storage.
Serve to hungry post-exercise cadets.
Happy Friday! Hope your week flew by without any whining, complaining, and loud students. If you’re a teacher, may God bless your soul.
Have a great weekend!
What was one challenging thing you did yesterday? Or today?
Should the nuts be soaked overnight before grinding, due to phylic acid? (I’ve just recently been reading about it.)
[…] story: I made some of my raw bites for my coworkers. I brought in some energizing, healthy bites and gave each person one to try. Two of the guys said they loved them, […]
yum! looks awesome! i want u to train me!!
These sound like great workout motivation. I have to admit, sometimes the thought of a deeeelicious post-workout snack gets me through the toughest of workouts. 🙂
I could not agree with you more!
those triple-b’s (banana bread balls) look great! i’m going to bookmark them and adapt the recipe for the man!
I can’t wait to see your version!!!!
You know…it’s probably a good thing you called them fit bites instead of “banana bread balls”. I’m not sure that would have gone over well given the group’s immaturity. 😛
They look delicious! Like larabars but in homemade bite-siized form!
The cadets didn’t seem to care they were eating balls (hehe) but I still went with fit bites just to be on the safe side. 😉
Thats awesome that you get to workout with the fire cadets! I want to be a volunteer firefighter sometime in my future.
And I’m totally going to make this recipe!
DO IT!
thank god you didn’t call them “balls” ….
Hehe… they keep asking me for more “meatballs”…
Those sound just yummy. Yummy enough to make me think I should make an exception to my ‘no nuts’ current rule and pop some extra flax to get over my omega-6-phobia!
Teachers are amazing. I went to an ‘artists in schools’ academy this past weekend to learn about going into schools and teaching creative writing, and I just don’t know how they do it. And I’ll be teaching at the community college next semester–argh…
Tell me more about teaching at the community college! (That’s what I’m doing- teaching at the CC for the Public Safety program).
I have no idea how teacher do it either… Now I know exactly what I’m parents both put up with for years (because there were teachers… not that I was immature and rude to them. lol …actually I probably was)
Haha, when you said they guys were immature, I thought you were about to say they gave you crap for serving them “balls” 😛 But these look great, as usual!
Hahahaha!
Oh my, that does sound like a challenge!
I wonder about using those dried bananas at TJ’s, yum!
Oh I know they’d be great with TJ anythings! I love TJ’s…
in l-o-v-e with those banana bread bites. totally bookmaking this!
These are SUPER easy and SO good. Make them! 😉
Haha that must be interesting to instruct all those young guys! These banana bread bites sound REALLY good! I love that you used golden raisins.
Those look phenomenal! I guess I’ll need to start doing more intense workouts to be worthy of eating them… 🙂
my bootcamp peeps whine a lot too….as long as they still do the work! lol
Those bites look sooo amazing! YUM!
19-25 year old guys are immature? Really? 😉
I kind of don’t envy you, but I’m sure you love it!