I recently discovered Energy balls also called Energy bites and all I can say is they are amaaaazing ! 🙂
The concept is simple: these are delicious no-bake snacks full of protein, magnesium, fiber, vitamins and sugar free! All natural sugars from organic dried fruits, fresh fruit, nuts and oats. You can make them with almost anything, sweet or savory, the trick is to have enough moisture (but not too much) to bind them together as to form a small ball.
Made in just 10 minutes, they’re great snacks to have for breakfast if you’re not big on the full-on pancakes and eggs breakfast but need some energy to hold you over in the morning. They’re good before a workout and can be kid-friendly snacks to substitute cookies and candy.
If I had known about these little goodies sooner I’d be carrying them in my bag at all times. I love how they can be kept in the fridge for days and not get bad.
Many nutritionists say that these are a good alternative to carbs. It’s also consumed a lot in Paleo and vegan diets, or amongst athletes.
For me, unless you are on a strict diet for a specific reason, or for medical issues, eating a little bit of everything is important for bringing all the healthy nutriments to your body.
Eliminating a whole category of foods doesn’t seem like it’s right nor natural, unless of course your body is intolerant to it.
So that’s my method for a healthy lifestyle hence all the research in these new generation snacks and meals that everyone’s raving about. What’s good to note in some cases, is that some nutriments can be replaced by others to fill the void that your body may be having. Superfoods, energy balls, grains, all of these foods have amazing virtues that can improve your health. Like they say, you are what you eat, right ?
Now don’t get me wrong, I love pizza or burgers like everyone else, but I like exploring new ideas and stimulating my taste buds.
For this special Energy ball theme, I made 4 different flavours, that I will of course share with you today. All these recipes were found on different fitness or food websites, there are endless possibilities out there so go wild people!
My favorites are the Apricot ones and the Date ones! Definitely the best 🙂
Apricot Energy Balls
INGREDIENTS: (makes 12 balls)
? 1,5 cup Dried Apricots
? 1/2 cup Raisins
? 1/4 cup Almonds
? 1/4 Walnuts
? 3 tablespoon desiccated coconut
? 1 tablespoon Flaxseeds
? 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
? 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
METHOD:
1. Assemble ingredients.
2. Transfer into a food processor (except Vanilla essence) and mix a few times to combine.
3. Add Vanilla essence and mix well.
4. Form one big ball, then make several small balls
5. Roll balls in a bowl of dessiccated coconut
6. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator up to a week.
Strawberry Energy balls
INGREDIENTS : (makes 10-15 balls)
? 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
? 1 cup oats
? 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
? 1/2 cup coconut flour
? 2 tablespoons coconut oil
? Dessicated coconut
METHOD :
1. Place the ingredients in a food processor with the coconut oil and mix well.
2. Form a big ball then break up into small balls.
3. Roll the balls in dessicated coconut and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Date & Almond Energy balls
INGREDIENTS : (makes 2 dozen balls)
? 2 cups mejool dates
? 2 cups almonds
? 1/4 unsweetened coconut flakes
? 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
? 2-3 tablespoons almond milk
METHOD:
1. Start by mixing the dates in a food processor.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. It might take some time, if it does that separate the batch into several small batches to mix.
3. Form one big ball, then break up into several small balls.
4. Roll the balls into sesame seeds and place in an airtight container for up to a week.
Chia & Chocolate Energy Balls
? A handful of almonds
? 2 soup spoons of chia seeds
? 2 soup spoons of olive oil
? 2 soup spoons of water
? 3 soup spoons of maple syrup
? 2 soup spoons of cocoa powder
? 1 coffee spoon of vanilla extract
METHOD:
1. Add all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until combined
2. Form one big ball then break into small balls.
3. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
