Tuesday, March 8, 2016

No Bake Energy Bites

It s very important to fuel your body post exercise and with a myriad of options out there you may not know where to start. Below are some suggestions on how to get yourself started.

THE CORE INGREDIENTS

The body. This is basically the core ingredient.  Mostly these are dry ingredients.Think Oats, Quinoa, puffed, Amaranth, cooked, toasted, Coconut, Ground flaxseed, Whole wheat flour, Gluten free flour, Cocoa powder, Protein powder.

The glue. This is what keeps everything together in a shapely ball. You’re looking for wet/ sticky ingredients.  Think Blended nuts or seeds (almonds, cashews, walnuts, macadamia), Nut or seed butters (peanut, cashew, almond, pumpkin seed, tahini, sunflower seed), Coconut oil, Coconut butter, Avocado, Banana, Cooked kumara.

THE OPTIONAL (BUT TASTY EXTRAS)
Burst of flavor. To give your energy balls a burst of flavour. Think Chocolate chips, Carob chips
Raisins, Chopped dates/ figs, Dried cranberries, Goji berries, Dried apricots, Dried mango, Other dried fruit

Sweetener. Depending on how sweet you like your treats you can add something extra to sweeten your balls. Think honey, maple syrup, molasses, or agave nectar. If you’ve added sweet fruit such as cranberries or dates, you might need less sweetener. 

Flavour. Add an extra layer of flavour to the recipe. This brings out the sweetness, without actually adding extra calories. Think Cinnamon, Vanilla, Almond extract, Nutmeg, Allspice

Health boost. This is a great opportunity to add some healthy extras you can make your energy bite to a nutrient-packed powerhouse. Where the other ingredients are about adding protein, healthy fats and complex carbs, this step is all about adding extra micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and other goodies.  Think Green powders, Carob powder, Maca powder, Acai powder, Goji berries, Ground flax seeds, Chia seeds.

THE BASIC RECIPE
Ingredients
2 – 2 ½ cups core ingredients
½ cup nuts or nut butter
½ cup dried fruit (or chocolate chips)
1/3 cup sweetener (optional)
½ – 1 tsp flavor enhancer
1 – 2 tbs health booster

This is just a starting point. You can be more adventurous and change things up a lot more. Just keep the consistency of the mixture in mind, as you want it to hold together when you roll it into tasty balls! If you prefer your bites more sticky, be careful with how much extra “glue” you add, as these ingredients tend to be heavier on the calories.

Instructions
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator for 15 – 30 minutes.
Once chilled, roll into balls!