Energy Balls
As someone who hates dates, I can’t even swallow the fruit. Not to be confused with outings to the movies or a good ‘ole hiking trip, dates are a classic fruit that seemingly only seniors enjoy. But along with celery, dates are coming back into fashion and are being incorporated into a multitude of food alternatives due to their health benefits. They are chock full of vitamins, natural sugars, fiber and protein. And there are balls for every taste!
We wouldn’t pander this recipe to you if it wasn’t 1. Easy & 2. Good tasting and good for you. So you can rest assured that these will give you a sustainable energy level boost, and are guilt free (no palm oil, check, no animal products, check, and no highly processed garbage ingredients, check)! There are other versions of date balls that involve blending together dates and nuts, so you can easily adjust the recipe to your liking.
This recipe is from Megan Gilmore on her “Detoxinista” blog, here’s what you’ll need:
2 cups walnuts, or other nut/seed of choice
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 cups soft Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil (optional; if they don’t stick together)
1. Blend walnuts and coconut in a food processor until its reach an even consistency. Then add the dates, coconut oil, vanilla and salt.
2. Ball ‘em
3. Roll them in coconut flakes
4. Refrigerate ‘em (or freeze them if you’d like)
If you don’t have the time to craft your own, buy a similar product in bulk from Costco. They sell a brand by the name of Figgy Pops that we can’t recommend enough. So stay sustainable, millennials (Gen-X’ers, Baby Boomers and whoever else is out there) and eat those dates! They are rich in vitamins and protein, only the good stuff. Keep in mind that making things at home usually result in the least amount of waste produced, but sustainability is a privilege and we applaud you for taking small steps, if not leaps and bounds, towards a healthier lifestyle.
