Date & oat Energy bites

I’ve just made a batch of these delicious and so healthy Date and Oat Energy Bites. They are so simple, healthy and delicious and way cheaper than any you will buy in the shops!

We all need a wee sweet energy boost and these really do tick all the boxes. 

As I'm sure you are all aware, refined white sugary snacks will give you a short lived energy boost, offer no nutritional value and within a short time the sugar cravings hit and you are reaching for the biscuit tin again! A scenario we are all too familiar with!

We are hard wired to like sugar and it’s been proven to be more addictive than cocaine, yes really!! We have sugar receptors all over the place that crave to be satisfied.

However if you listen to your body and choose to eat something naturally sweet but totally nutrient dense packed with protein, fibre and good fats then the cravings subside because your body is satisfied and I can assure you one or two of these energy bites will give you a real boost!

Right so what is the secret ingredient to make these energy bites so sweet, healthy and delicious?
                            ............it's dates........!

Dates are absolutely delicious, especially the big plump juicy Medjool ones, they really are the king of dates. Deglet Noor are a close second but beware of dates with added glucose syrup and preservatives.

Dates are an excellent source of fibre, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and a host of other beneficial minerals and antioxidants and support good digestive health, maintain fluid balance and can help with intestinal problems, among other things!

They are traditionally used to celebrate the end of Ramadan because they are such a nutrient dense food source!

I think dates fell out of favour because they are so sweet and people assume that they can’t be good for us but the exact opposite is true for all the reasons mentioned above; so please be assured that your body will thank you for incorporating dates into your diet!

Back to the recipe, these wee bites are so simple to make. The most complicated part is blitzing the dates with warm water to make a paste, for which you really need a food processor. After that you just add the other ingredients, all healthy with lots of amazing benefits. My favourite, coconut, adds fibre and natural sweetness, whilst oats add soluble fibre and B vitamins and will help with lowering cholesterol and keeping your heart healthy.

Sesame and sunflower seeds are powerhouses of nutrition, packed with vitamins, calcium and magnesium plus good fats; they are a really good source of protein.

Walnuts are a fantastic source of omega 3 fatty acids and support brain health - ever noticed that a walnut looks like a brain!!  

Chia seeds are an optional ingredient but again are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fibre and magnesium and are pretty tasteless, so really easy to add to any recipe to boost the nutritional benefits. They are deserving of the title superfood!

Goji berries are another useful addition to this recipe, a great immune booster and containing all the essential amino acids, so a great source of protein. They are also high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and a fab vibrant red colour with an intense flavour, like a cross between a cherry and a cranberry.

Both maca and lucuma powder can easily be added to this recipe. Both are in the superfood category for different reasons but are nutrient dense with major health benefits. Maca is particularly good for balancing hormones and can help to alleviate hot flushes! Lucuma will help to balance blood sugar levels. Both taste sweet, lacuma tastes like maple syrup whereas maca has a slight butterscotch, nutty flavour. Both are packed full of vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre and good fats.

I think most of us are guilty of reading or hearing about the next great superfood, then rushing out to buy, but then not really knowing what to do with it! These energy bites are perfect for using up your sweet tasting superfoods but are equally delicious without them!

So do yourself a big favour and rustle up a batch of these energy bites to see you through the week! If you use Medjool dates you can eat the bites straight from the freezer! Other dates are not so juicy so you may need to defrost them for 10 minutes or you may break your teeth! They will keep quite happily in a covered container in the fridge for a week or so, if they last that long! If you have a nut allergy then you can just replace the nuts with more seeds!

Here is the recipe.....Enjoy..

Makes  20 medium balls
 
Ingredients

·         2 cups pitted dates, Medjool are the the best
·         1/4 cup warm water
·         3/4 cup jumbo oats
·         1 cup desiccated coconut plus for ¼ cup for rolling finished balls in
·         1/4 cup sesame seeds
·         1/4 cup sunflower seeds
·         1/4 cup  chopped almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts
·         2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
          1 handful goji berries (optional)
         1 tsp maca and/or lacuma powder (optional)

Method

1. Place dates and warm water in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Transfer into a bowl and fold in the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is soggy then slowly add more oats, if the mixture is too dry slowly add warm water.
3. Shape into balls and roll them in desiccated coconut.
4. Enjoy right away or keep them in fridge or freezer in a covered container.

                  ........your health in your hands.......