Food Friday: Tahini Date Energy Balls

It’s no secret I love a good snack and energy balls are so handy and so versatile. My snacks are always geared towards a healthy option with a little sweetness depending on the day and these date filled energy balls are perfect for that. You’ll need a food processor for this one. A mini one will work great.

Dates are a good source of fibre, and contain potassium and magnesium. Tahini (aka ground sesame seeds) is a good source of iron, calcium and a few other minerals and is a great alternative to peanut or almond butter if you need a nut free option. Finally cashews a good source of unsaturated fat. So all in all, although these are a little higher in sugar and calories due the dates and cashews, the bite size is a perfect balance.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dates (soaked in hot water if too dry)

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1 cup cashews

• 1/8-1/4 tsp cardamon

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• shredded coconut

Directions:

• Add cashews and oats to your food processor and pulse for a few seconds to break into smaller pieces but not a flour.

• Add dates and pulse until well processed and combined.

• Add cardamom, salt, vanilla, tahini and maple syrup and pulse until well combined and starts forming a ball. It should stick together well in your fingers.

• Form into 1-2 tbsp balls (just smaller than a golf ball) and roll in coconut.

• Store in freezer. They will last a while there, if they don’t get eaten quickly!

Enjoy!

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Chai-Spiced Energy Bites

Coming into spring, I am typically craving lighter meals with lots of greens. This is great to help your body detox. As I have mentioned before, the spring is the time of the liver in Chinese Medicine and great time to detoxify your body and focus on that organ. We will have another Spring Cleanse coming up in a month or so as well, so get geared up for that. :) 

However, my craving for sweets never seems to go away so when I am hungry mid-afternoon at work, or doing an elimination diet with somebody, these little energy bites are a great snack option. This recipe makes a big batch that you can store in your fridge for up to two weeks. So when you are craving that 3pm chocolate bar, reach for one or two of these instead. Dates are a natural sweetener, full of fibre. Cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar. Finally, the sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E, the pumpkin seeds a source of zinc and they both contain lignans and good fatty acids. All in all, a nutritiously dense little bite. 

Chai-Spiced Energy Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
• 2 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil
• 1-2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• handful of shredded coconut (I sometimes just add the coconut into the mixture)

Directions:

1. Place seeds, spices and salt in a food processor and process until seeds are very finely ground. This only takes a minute or so.
2. Add the pitted dates and oil and 1 tbsp maple syrup. Process again until combined and sticky. Check to see if you can form a truffle by rolling some of the mixture in your hands. If it falls apart, then add more maple syrup and process again.
3. Roll the mixture by the large spoonful into balls. Roll the balls in the shredded coconut. Store leftover bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  

* You can replace the pumpkin seeds with another cup of sunflower seeds for a slightly different taste. 

In health & happiness,

Dr. Karen

(Recipe adapted from The Elimination Diet book; Photo credit: www.nourishingmeals.com)