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20
Jan
Jan
It’s not often you find a protein balls recipe that’s vegan, grain-free, Paleo / keto-friendly, has no added sugar, requires no baking, and still tastes delicious.
But that’s exactly what we’re bringing you with this new recipe. As you’ll see on our recipes page, we’ve made several variations of protein balls before but this one is quite unique.
It has a combo of several “superfood” nuts and seeds, including pistachios, walnuts, flax, chia, and coconut. Toss in some Pure Food Vanilla Protein Powder with Probiotics and you get a nutritious, guilt-free snack or dessert that kiddos will enjoy too (my 6-year-old had a blast preparing and eating these, as you’ll see in the pics that follow).
Health-wise, here are just a few of the perks:
Health Benefits:
Ingredient | Health Benefits |
| Walnuts | Walnuts can help you improve cognitive (brain) function and also reduce the risk of other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes, which are risk factors for the development of dementia. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071526/ |
| Pistachios | Pistachios have a high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Among nuts, pistachios also have a lower fat and energy content and the highest levels of K, γ-tocopherol, vitamin K, phytosterols, xanthophyll carotenoids, certain minerals (Cu, Fe and Mg), vitamin B₆ and thiamin. |
| Flax | Flaxseed is a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid, the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and fiber. These compounds provide bioactivity of value to the health of animals and humans through their anti-inflammatory action, anti-oxidative capacity and lipid modulating properties. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6567199/ |
| Coconut | Coconut meat contains MCT oil, or medium-chain triglycerides. That’s the extract that people put in smoothies and coffee. MCT oil has unique benefits. It seems to lower two key hunger hormones, cueing a person to eat less. And MCTs convert more easily into energy compared with other sources of fat, like animal meat, so athletes consider it workout fuel. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192077/ |
| Chia | Chia seeds contain healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Aside from this, the seeds are an excellent source of polyphenols and antioxidants, such as caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and others. |
| Dates | Studies have shown that dates have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3992385/ |
| Pure Food Vanilla Protein Powder | Pure Food Plant-based Protein Powder contains a multi-source protein blend that’s just as effective as whey with the digestive side effects. And unlike other plant proteins, it’s 100% organic, high in fiber and contains no sugar. |
Protein Balls Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pistachios (shells removed, of course)
1/3 cup flax meal
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 T chia seeds
4 dates
1 T coconut oil (or other oil for greasing your pan)
1 tsp. vanilla powder or extract (optional)
Flaked salt (optional)
Directions:
- If your dates are hard or dry, place them in a bowl of hot water and cover to rehydrate. Let ’em sit for 5-10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Add the walnuts and pistachios to a food processor and pulse for a minute or two until the nuts reach a fine “meal” consistency (there should be no visible large chunks remaining).
- Remove the seeds from the dates and add to the food processor. Pulse until they’re fully chopped (about a minute should do).
- Add the remaining ingredients, along with 1-2 T of water. Note: add the water 1 Tablespoon at a time. You will only need a little bit to make your mixture nice and sticky for rolling.
- Once all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the mix feels slightly wet, grease your pan and start rolling into balls.
- Refrigerate or freeze for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
These will last for 7-10 days if you keep them refrigerated.
Nutrition:
Assuming you make 10 protein balls with this recipe, here are the nutrition facts for each ball:
Calories: 155
Fat: 12 grams
Carbs: 7 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 6 grams
