Easy, Healthy Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies

These breakfast cookies are really easy to make: two main ingredients are oats and bananas, then toss in whatever else you fancy.

If you're hungry before a workout, these would also make great pre-workout snacks; carbohydrates for quick energy. You could also bring them along for long hikes, bike rides or on a ski day.

Interestingly enough, the only time our bodies need fuel for energy to be used right away is during long duration exercise - as in long distance runs, bike rides, hikes, etc.. That's why triathletes, marathon runners, iron men, etc, will bring along quick release chews and other forms of carbohydrates to fuel the rest of their activity.

Most of the time, during a one hour workout, our bodies are actually using stored fuel from previous meals - not fuel that we have just consumed 30-60 minutes prior.

In any case, these are tasty, and can be healthy little treats depending on what you choose to add to them:

Ingredients:

2 bananas
2 cups of oats
1 tsp vanilla

Possible add ons:

Trail mix
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Dried cranberries, raisins or other dried fruit
Slivered almonds
Chocolate chips
Unsweetened Coconut shreds
Chia seeds
Hemp seeds
Cacao nibs
Cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash bananas in bowl, add oats. Use blender to mix.
3. Add vanilla. Mix.
4. Toss in "add ons" of your choice. Mix with spoon.
5. Roll Into balls with your hands and place on cookie sheet. Gently press balls flat-ish.
6. Bake for 9-12 minutes.
7. Let cool on rack.

Enjoy!

- Nikki

To learn more about fitness, nutrition and a holistic approach to weight loss, visit the Fit Chicks Fitness & Nutrition Expert Program, and the Natural Weight Loss Coach program. 

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