Nothing says Fall is almost here like back to school! Be prepared for after school snacks and cool fall days with these tasty bites.

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Back To School Spiced Apple-Nut Bites

Looking for a quick, back to school snack? Something quick you can whip up for the kids when they come home? 

Course Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 Bites

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Cashew Nut Butter Any Nut Butter Works
• 1 tbsp. Applesauce
• 1/4 tsp. Apple Pie Spice
• 6 Dates (pitted)
• 2 tbsp. Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

Instructions

• Place Dates, Cashew Nut Butter, Apple Pie Spice and Applesauce in a blender. Blend the ingredients together until smooth
• Place the batter onto parchment paper and pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes until it firms up. 
• Remove the batter from the fridge and form into bite sized balls. 
• Roll balls into coconut and serve!
• Store balls in covered container and store in the fridge. 

Some days they are more exhausting than triathlons and half marathons! I’ve discovered the truth in people saying, I don’t have time to eat because I have kids. I’ve had to take a step back over the last few months and create a Paleo routine with my new family dynamic.

I did a Whole 30 in January and it really helped me reflect on how Food is meant to heal and make us feel good. I have fallen in love with the Paleo lifestyle as a mom because I am able to teach my children what a healthy relationship with food can look like.

With that said.. WE ARE SO BUSY! I have officially stock piled my house with Paleo foods for on the go.

Plantain chips, RX BARS, trailmix and homemade muffins. I’ve never seen so many mason jars and tupperware containers in my pantry!! And of course our favorite Paleo food Thunderbird Bars

No new news here that my Husband and I have been huge fans of Thunderbird bars for a long time now. I’ve tweeted and posted about them before, but being a mom now, this love has grow even stronger. My son loves these bars and I am thrilled that our family can buy a box of bars and be satisfied for meals or snacks. I don’t have to make or find 4 different snacks for each of us! THANK YOU THUNDERBIRD BAR!

(I should note, I am not sponsored by this company. I just strongly believe in supporting good business and especially ones who value quality foods like we do! GO PALEO) 

If you haven’t tried these bars, you are missing out. Not only do they contain good ingredients, their customer service is incredible. I believe in their message:

“Real Food, Real Energy for Real People”. 

SERIOUSLY, WHY AREN’T THEY IN YOUR SHOPPING CART YET?

These bars are excellent on the go snacks because they actually satisfy your hunger.

So if you are busy like me – buy some bars and keep them in your bag, car or bed side table (don’t judge).

My husband has been using these bars to fuel him during and post races!

Anytime we can support real food, good ingredients and awesome business, I say it’s a blessing!

So Thunderbird, Thanks and keep making these delicious bars.  I’ve been told Whole Foods carries them, but since I am so far away from Whole Foods- I order online Here! 

Now they even have a thunderbird kids line! Major win.

What Fuels you? What are your Go-To PALEO on the go foods?

We are always looking for fast snacks to grab on the go and I know this will only be more useful when baby number 2 arrives and as my little one gets older. For those busy families, this bar is for you! These take 2 minutes to create and only 13-15 minutes to bake. These taste similar to Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars from Quaker.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Paleo Bars

~Makes about 14 bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C Almonds
• 1/2 C Walnuts
• 1/4 C Unsweetened Coconut flakes
• 1 Tbsp. Almond Meal
• 1/3 C Honey
• 1/4 C Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 C Raisins

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or Parchment paper
3. Place Walnuts, Almonds and Coconut shreds in a food processor, Chop until nuts are well chopped
4. Pour nuts in a large bowl and add honey, almond meal, raisins and chocolate, mix with a spoon
5. Place mixture on the cookie tray and flatten with a large metal spatula, make sure everything is packed together well
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes. You do not want to overcook, the edges should be just slightly golden but not browned
7. Remove and let cool completely until the bars are firm.
8. Use a pizza cutter to slice the bar into 2″ x 6″ bars

*These can be wrapped in parchment paper for a quick grab and go snack or stored in a tightly sealed tupperware container for a week.

Ever miss pop-tarts or those fancy little Nutri- Grain bars now that you are eating healthy? I  missed the convenience of grabbing something quick in the morning. I never missed pop-tarts until I got pregnant and now- preggo CRAVING HOLY COW!! Here is my simple fix to my craving and keeping it healthy and Paleo. *Egg Free

On- The- Go Fruit Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 C. Almond Flour
• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/3 C. Maple Syrup
• 4 Tbsp. Cold Butter
• 1 C. Jam of your choice, we use my Strawberry, blueberry or Mixed Berry (just combine both jams)  freezer jam recipe.

Process:

1. Combine Flours, salt and syrup in a bowl and mix with a blender.
2. Add butter a Tbsp. at a time and mix with a blender.
3. Place batter in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, the longer you put it in the fridge, the easier the dough is to work with.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Line a cookie sheet with Parchment paper or a silpat
6. Scoop 1 Tbsp of dough onto the cookie tray and pat it into 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ rectangles. (Don’t pat the dough too thin or the jam will leak through.) You will need 2 pastries per bar. You should be able to get about 6 on-the- go bars per batch.
7. Bake the pastries for 5 minutes, should be slightly yellow/ golden but not browned.
8. Let them cool for two minutes and then place 1/2 Tbsp. of jam on one side of the bar. Leave room on the edges of the pastry so that you can press the two pastries together.
9. Place the other side of the pastry on top of the jam and press it firmly with a fork.  (This process is very fragile, I use a large spatula to loosen the pastry and then I fold the silpat over top of the jam pastry.)
10. Bake the bars for 2 minutes and then flip them and bake for 2 more minutes.
11. Let them cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
12. You can wrap them in parchment paper or store them in a tightly sealed container for  3-4 days. These are great for breakfast and on the go snacks.

Step 6 visual:

Step 7 & 8 visual: 

• 1/2 c Pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 c Sunflower seeds
• 1 c Almond Meal
• 1 c Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
• 2 c Almonds, chopped
• 1/2 c Coconut Oil
• 1/2 c Honey
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Line a cookie tray with a silpat or parchment paper
3. In a large bowl, add seeds, almond flour and nuts. Mix well
4. Add in Honey, oil and Vanilla, stir until combined.
5. Spread mixture onto the cookie tray.
6. Bake for 20 minutes
7. Flip it over/ stir it around  and bake it for another 5 minutes
8. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes
9. This stores well in a tightly closed tupperware. I keep mine in the pantry for 5-7 days.

*The great thing about this recipe is that you can do so many different variations. Even if you can’t have some of the ingredients or are missing a few- use these guidlines to make you own variation. I’ve baked it with 1/2 a cup or raisins for a sweeter treat. It goes great with some fruit and dark chocolate or just a simple bowl of crunch and almond milk.

It is all about being prepared and making things easier.

Check out these easy, quick snack ideas:

First some tips:

1. Make in advance
2. Freeze or refigerate snacks ahead of time.
3. Bag, tupperwaror pre-package ahead of time.
4. Be prepared!

Classics:

• Almonds, nuts, dried fruits (in moderation), Make your own Paleo approved trail mix
• Veggies and fruits
• Hard boiled eggs (make a dozen on Sunday, peel them and refrigerate for a quick grab snack)

Some of my favorite recipes, new ideas  and pinterest ideas:

• Beef Jerky or meat sticks (try to make your own, get them from a butcher or order them so they are nitrate free, sugar, gluten and soy free- read the labels!)
• Honey nut cereal 
• Apple Muffins
• Nut butter and veggies to go
• Kale, Carrot,veggie or Banana Chips
• Fruit Roll Ups (homemade)
• My all time Favorite: Paleo Crunch with berries
• Lara Bars or try these (homemade) Lara bars
• Checkout Paleo Parents Pinterest board for some great muffin recipes

What can you add to my list? What do you do for snacks? Share so that we can all breathe easier during the stressful back to school days!

Nut Butter Candies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Cashew Nut Butter 
• 1 Tbs Honey
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 Graham Crackers (optional-It makes it a little thicker and a little sweeter) (recipe to follow)
• 1 bag of Dark Chocolate Chips (I use Enjoy Life)

I made these in a candy mold

These I put  Marshmallow fluff on top and didn’t add the graham cracker to the candy.