Best Energy Balls for Postpartum

BY: REBECCA BELENKY of LOS ANGELES BIRTH

These no-bake protein-filled Energy Balls have become my most requested recipe as a postpartum doula. Packed with protein, healthy fats, and just the right touch of sweetness, they’re perfect for labor snacks, postpartum recovery, or an afternoon pick-me-up while feeding your newborn.

Energy Balls for labor and postpartum

Energy Balls are perfect labor and postpartum treats

In all my years as a postpartum doula, this is the recipe that my clients are almost guaranteed to request. I make them again and again. It is the perfect sweet and salty treat for a satisfying burst of energy in pregnancy or the postpartum period. It has about 2 grams of protein per ball, and less than 2 grams of sugar, so that is a real-food win in my book! These energy balls can be served for a much-needed labor pick-me-up, or a quick treat during an afternoon slump while feeding your baby. You can ask your friends, family, and neighbors to keep your refrigerator stocked with these Energy Balls pre- and post-birth. Alternatively, you could hire someone to assist you with your postpartum cooking and food preparation.

I remember one client vividly. I was working with her as her postpartum doula for her first baby after having a home birth. I showed up the day after her daughter was born. (That is one of the nice things about home birth, the parents get to stay in their home and their bed, and the support comes to them.) Breastfeeding was getting off to a great start, so I was focused on household tasks, including tidying up, doing laundry, keeping the parents well-fed, and keeping their spirits raised.

As the weeks went on, we were in a lovely flow together. I would arrive and we would talk through what was working and what they were working on, they would shower and I would take the baby and wear her while I moved around their home. I was doing a lot of cooking and meal prep for this new family, so I had these protein-filled energy balls in a strong rotation. She was sensitive to peanuts, so I would make them with Almond butter instead (an excellent substitution). This client of mine felt like her husband was taking more than his fair share of these delectable energy balls. At my next postpartum visit, she asked if I would make him his own peanut butter version, and another (secret!) batch with almond butter just for her! We stashed his container right in front for easy access, and then we tucked her own almond butter energy ball stash sneakily behind the condiment jars. That way, he would keep his hands off her almond butter energy balls, and they would avoid bickering about who was hogging the delicious Protein Energy balls. I am not kidding—the need to ration these energy balls is real!

I make them for my family often, and to be honest, I rarely even take the time to form them into balls. I just skip that step and put the whole bowl in the refrigerator with a spoon. It is a self-serve situation in our house. But that’s the benefit of having kids who are a little older. They can serve themselves snacks!

Energy Ball Recipe

1 cup salted natural Peanut Butter (room temp)

3 tablespoons Unrefined Coconut Oil

1/3 cup Honey

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2-1 tsp Kosher Salt (more or less depending on your taste and how salty the PB is)

—Mix the Goo until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. Then add dry ingredients one by one, stirring after each addition.

1/3 cup ground Flaxseed

1/3 cup hempseeds

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (mini chips offer the best distribution, but any style works!)

1 3/4 cups Old Fashioned Oats

—Stir the goo until ingredients are evenly mixed. Spoon out and roll into balls. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Recipe makes 24-30 balls.

Maybe this recipe has got you thinking about postpartum preparation and how you are going to care for yourself in your unique postpartum recovery? If you are looking for a postpartum doula in the Pasadena and Los Angeles area, learn more about my postpartum doula support.

Rebecca Belenky is a Los Angeles–based doula, childbirth educator, and lactation educator who has been supporting families since 2014. Through her practice, Los Angeles Birth, she offers compassionate, trauma-informed care that helps parents feel informed, grounded, and confident through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.