Energy Power Balls

Nutrient-dense, no-bake energy balls made with power boosting INGREDIENTS including oats, chia seeds, coconut, nuts, seeds, spirulina and wheatgrass.

These healthy bites make for the perfect pre- or post-workout snack, can be enjoyed while hiking or simply as a delicious and free-from refined sugars treat when energy levels are running low.

One of the first things you may notice about the energy balls is their striking green colour. For some it may be inviting and intriguing, for others perhaps quite the opposite.

Either way, these green monsters are worth a try. Quick and easy to make and certainly highly nutritious they may well turn out to be a new favorite among your family and friends.

Their unique color is due to the two superstars within the world of superfoods: spirulina and wheatgrass powder.

I found them while rummaging through the kitchen cupboards, looking for inspiration and thought to myself as I was mixing all the ingredients: ‘Why not? Added healthy ingredients are always a bonus’.

What’s more, I didn’t find that they compromised the overall taste.

what is spirulina?

Spirulina is a blue-green algae (Yep, that’s right – those aquatic organisms that grow in lakes and live on photosynthesis).

Ok, let’s get down to the nutrition business. What is there in for you?

Spirulina is rich in B complex vitamins as well as vitamins A, C and E. Mineral content includes calcium, magnesium, zinc and selenium.

The algae are a great vegan source of iron, providing 1.4mg per 5g teaspoon.

Last but not least, spirulina is also high in protein, with just 1 tsp (5g) providing almost 3g of protein per serving.

To learn more about spirulina and other plant-based complete protein sources click here

And what about wheatgrass?

Its name is almost perfectly self-explanatory. Wheatgrass is the freshly sprouted first leaves of the wheat plant.

‘Hold on… Wheat? What about gluten?’ you may ask.

Not to worry, as gluten is only contained in the seed kernels of the wheat plant and not the grass. Phew!

However, having said that, there is still a risk of cross contamination and so if you do have a strong wheat allergy it would be best to avoid the use of wheatgrass entirely.

Here are a few of the nitty-gritty nutritional facts about wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is a source of dietrary fiber, vitamins A, C, and E as well as vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, and minerals such as potassium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.

Wheatgrass is also a great source of amino acids – the building blocks of protein (a total of 17 , 8 of which are considered essential).

And since sharing is caring I think it’s about time to share the recipe with you. 🙂

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

1 cup of oats (preferably organic; optional: gluten-free)
½ cup of almond flour
½ cup of flaxseed
½ cup chia seeds
¼ cup of spirulina
¼ cup of wheatgrass powder
¼ cup of bee pollen (optional: milled into powder form to make it less grainy)
¼ cup ground sesame seeds
¼ cup of coconut flakes
¼ cup of pumpkin seeds

Wet ingredients:

½ cup of nut butter (such as peanut, almond or a mix)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
½ cup of honey / date paste
¼ cup of oat/ coconut milk (to enhance consistency and make them easier to stick)

Directions:

In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients: nut butter, honey, vanilla and milk.

Pour wet mixture over the dry and stir thoroughly until well combined (Tip: start with spoon and then use your hands).

Roll the batter into balls.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

P.S You may notice that for small-scale energy bites the ingredient list is rather impressively long. And so, if your cupboard does not happen to have all of them and going out to search for and buy everything required is currently not an option , then let your imagination go wild and play with the recipe to adapt to what you have at present.

If anything, I hope it serves to inspire you to try these energy balls, or look into the potential use and benefits of their ingredients more in-depth.

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