Active + Nourished

Last week, Hubby and I went on an amazing 4-day hike in Tasmania. And whilst thinking about suitable food to take along, I realised that my usual daily morning coffee without any soy or rice milk readily on hand, would be a challenge. So I did some recipe testing and created these yummy healthy energy balls, with just 5 ingredients! Perfect for my brain to get its coffee hit and great for the body to get some fuel for a day of hiking. Oh, and with Easter in just a couple weeks, I shaped them into mini eggs too, just to get in early on the Easter spirit!

5 Healthy Ingredients

These energy balls are so easy to make and with just 5 health ingredients.

1. Raw Cacao Powder

• Also high in important nutrients for active people such as magnesium and iron, Raw Cacao Powder is the highest natural source of antioxidants. ¹
• It is also very rich in flavanols which offer anti-inflammatory benefits. ²
• And with mood-boosting serotonin, dopamine and anandamide, and also containing phenylethylamine (PEA), cacao can elevate your mood and increase energy.

2. Oats

• Oats are a good whole grain source of carbohydrate for fuel, also offering quality protein with good nutritional value.
• They contain valuable micronutrients such as iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and B group vitamins such as folate. ^{3 4}
• Eating oats have been linked to health benefits associated with dietary fibres such as β-glucan, functional protein, lipid and starch components and the phytochemicals present in the oat grain. ⁵

3. Medjool dates

• Medjool dates are a natural source of energy, are high in fibre, rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc, and also contain B vitamins and vitamin K and A. ⁶
• They can be substituted as a non-refined sweetener, a healthier alternative to processed sugars.

4. Hazelnuts

• Hazelnuts are a nutrient rich source of folate, antioxidants, fibre, plant protein, healthy fats, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin E, copper, manganese and potassium. ⁷

5. Coffee

• Although there is not much coffee per energy ball in this recipe, in general, coffee has been linked to enhancing athletic performance as a result of its caffeine content.
• Pure caffeine has been shown to help: ⁸
  • Endurance athletes run faster, ⁹,
  • Cyclists to ride longer,  ¹⁰,
  • Footballers sprint more often and over greater distances, ¹¹
  • Basketball players to jump higher, and ¹²
  • Improve the accuracy and successful shots of tennis players ¹³ and golfers. ¹⁴

Coffee Cacao Healthy Energy Balls Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
• 1 cup organic rolled oats
• 7 pitted Medjool dates
• 1/4 cup hazelnut meal
• 1 shot espresso coffee

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend together to form a sticky paste. Then simply shape into balls or any shape preference.

This recipe makes around 7 healthy energy balls or in this case, healthy mini “Easter Eggs“.

Enjoy!!

For other healthy recipes, check out the Nourish the Active page.

 

 

 

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