Busylittlefoodie’s Grace Brady shares healthy recipe ideas for surf lovers.

Surfing has changed so much over the last few years. It’s changed from surfer bum to pro athlete. Gone are the days of a snickers bar and a bottle of lucozade to boost your energy levels in between surf sessions. These sugary snacks were always so easy to keep us going, until an hour later, you’re sitting out in the water wondering why you have no more energy to catch more waves as you come crashing down from your sugar high. We all love some quick, healthy surf snack to keep us going as we head out to catch just a few more waves but in reality we need something easy to make and easy to eat that will give us the energy we need. This time round, I’m giving you a choice of two healthy surf snacks. The first is your longer lasting answer to a peanut butter sandwich and the second is a cookie recipe you’ll never be without after you make them.

Get making, eating and surfing. You’ll never look at a snicker’s bar again.

Banana rice cakes

Banana Rice Cakes

Rice cakes can be loaded with toppings and won’t fill you with the useless carbs of white bread. Banana, cacao nibs and desiccated coconut are all low GI-slow release food. Chia seeds swell with water and so are deceptively filling and cinnamon keeps sugar levels in check. Winning surf fuel combo.

Ingredients
As many rice cakes/corn cakes as your heart desires-this recipe makes 4
Good quality peanut butter-Meridian make 1 kg tubs for €10 that last forever
1 banana
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp desiccated coconut
1 tsp cacao nibs
1 tsp cinnamon

Method
Spread mountains of the peanut butter and top with everything else. Devour mid surf then head back out there.

Surf snack cookies

Surf snack cookies

These are the perfect healthy surf snack when you want cookies that you can make quickly. These last a week easily so if you don’t devour them all the weekend you make them, they’ll be there the following weekend to munch on or for your next surf trip. These take as long to make and bake as a tv program so you’ve no excuse. All the ingredients make a slightly sweet yummy snack for the drive to the coast or in between sessions.

Ingredients
1 cup rice/gluten free/gram flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup oats
1/2 cup mixed seeds
1/2 cup whole almonds
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp honey
2 bananas mashed
2 Tbsp milk (cow/rice/almond/soy)
1 Tbsp chia seeds

Method
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a pot, on a low heat add the coconut oil and peanut butter and stir until melted. Stir through the honey, mashed banana and milk. Stir the liquid mix into the dry ingredients. Add the chia seeds and set aside for 15 minutes (or overnight)

Preheat oven to 190 C. Spoon tablespoons of mixture into your hand and roll into balls. Flatten with the palm of your hand and place on a non stick baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Keep in airtight container and try not to eat them all at once.

For more great food inspiration visit Grace’s Blog: www.busylittlefoodie.blogspot.ie