Snack Party Throwdown

We are getting ready for the SpaceX launch and thinking about what an astronaut might be able to eat in space. This post was also inspired by one of my supervisors who has been on the go. I have been on the go at home these days as well. Trying to be everything to everyone is exhausting if you don’t refuel properly. So I designed this fun break time to help refuel for the week. In my brainstorming and web-storming I have come across so many no bake options. I wanted to start with a spin on the current protein ball. My snack challenge has a few criteria:

1. Must be healthy
2. Must be delicious
3. Must include what is already in your pantry
4. Must include at least one ingredient that you have no idea what to do with
5. Must include a child on the advisory board
6. Bonus points if there is a theme, like our space party

I came across these options in my pantry.

1. Pitted Canned Cherries
2. Opened Coconut bag- kept fresh in the fridge
3. Sunflower seeds
4. Oats
5. Whole Brazilian Nuts

This protein ball is something an astronaut could easy catch mid-air if it missed the mouth.

The key is to use a binder which acts like the glue. In this case I used the creamy peanut butter. I also recommend avocado for a healthy option.

Use 2 tablespoons of your binder, or 1.5 tablespoons for a smaller portion.

I did not want to add sugar in order to keep this in the healthy zone and I learned that vanilla extract which sometimes already contains sugar, can be used as a great sweetener. In this case I used about 2 and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract. Honestly, with the coconut and cherry I don’t think we needed much in the way of extra sweetener. Honey and agave syrup are great options as well if you have them around.

I gave my son a big plate to work with and showed him how to spoon the peanut butter onto the plate. Use the spoon to roll the ingredients in and around in order to make a small ball. It’s important to show your child this step with the spoon because they will try to make their snack using their hands on the peanut butter and then it just becomes a less manageable glob. If you want to eat a glob of peanut butter this is understandable but if you want the snack for a later date, trust the spoon method.

My son said that hands down his favorite included the cherries on the inside. He named this the Astrorocket.

We tried Avocado as our binder as well. I found that the avocado tasted excellent after it had been chilled in the refrigerator, allowing the sweetness to settle more. The next time I use either peanut butter or avocado as a binder I will add sea salt for added flavor.

My son and I have committed to trying this snack time focus group again this month. Stay tuned for more fun creations. What are you going to make?