If Christmas isn’t your favourite time of the year then maybe these will change your mind. Like wise if you aren’t the biggest choc mint fan… these jingle balls will definitely change your mind! They are my all time favourite protein balls and are a Christmas must! Perfect way to enjoy the silly season whilst maintaining your protein levels and reducing your intake of artificial sugars!
Continue reading “SPIRULINA MINT JINGLE BALLS”
If you follow any health or fitness foodie on instagram you are bound to have come across Matcha Green Tea Powder. Not only does it have the most beautiful green colour and make everything look stunning, it is amazingly good for you too. Just like regular green tea which is packed with antioxidants, matcha is great for your insides and metabolism. Green tea not only speeds up your metabolism and gives you energy, it is great for detoxing and weightloss! Continue reading “MATCHA COCONUT BALLS”
If there is something that I excel at in life… it is snacking! Road trips, aeroplane flights (I swear my bag is always 50% food), weekend escapes, movie dates… you name it, I’ve got the snacks covered. I am honestly like a child. The only way to keep me happy is occupying me with food. Continue reading “SNACK HAPPY”
Friday again… I know I keep saying it but seriously WHERE ARE THE DAYS GOING? This feature Friday I have chosen the incredible Laura Henshaw. I am loving her blog, instagram and latest Ebook (with Steph Smith >> LINK HERE) lately and keep finding myself back on her page (creep)! Not only is her food incredibly delicious and nutritious but she has a wonderful well minded and balanced relationship with food and the health and fitness industry. Being a model she is constantly faced with pressures to be thinner and hotter each day but she maintains a balanced lifestyle with regular exercise, healthy wholesome foods and 7-8 hours sleep each night. Laura loves her on the go high protein snacks and has recently started a protein company of her own called Four Protein >> site HERE. Laura says “My favorite snack are these delicious little protein filled chocolaty balls. They are packed with protein, good fats (from the nuts) and taste amazing (tick all the boxes.) The best part is they are completely clean and although taste like chocolate have zero added sugar.” This recipe for Chocolate Covered Cacao Fudge Protein Balls made me drool and I think you should all try it out this weekend. Nothing like a little chocolaty goodness to get you in the mood for the weekend!!
CHOCOLATE COVERED CACAO FUDGE PROTEIN BALLS
Protein Ball
1 cup of almonds*
1 cup of medjool dates
1/2 cup of chocolate protein powder**
2/3 cup of organic desiccated or flaked coconut
2 heaped tbs organic cacao powder
1 tbs coconut oil
Extra coconut or cacao powder to roll balls in
Chocolate coating (Optional)
2 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs cacao powder
1/2 tsp stevia***
METHOD
1. Combine all ingredients (a part from extra coconut and cacao for rolling) for the protein balls in a food processor until combined.
2. Once combined roll into balls – I prefer mine quite small but you can make them whatever size you like.
3. Melt coconut oil and mix in cacao powder and stevia.
4. Roll balls in coconut, cacao or the chocolate mixture (this is only a good idea if they will be refrigerated at all times as the coconut oil will melt and can be quite messy)
5. Put balls rolled in chocolate mixture in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until mixture sets and then transfer to fridge. Balls not covered in the chocolate mixture can go straight into the fridge!
NOTES:
* If you are allergic to nuts you can replace the almonds with sunflower seeds/pepitas/linseed (a mix of all three is best)
** This is optional however I would recommend it adding it to increase the protein content. You could use almond meal or coconut flour instead
*** You can sweeten with your preferred sweetener- coconut sugar or honey also works.
Enjoy! Xx
Check out Laura’s website/blog >> HERE
Now if there is ONE thing that I have failed at most in the kitchen – it is healthy and clean alternatives to chocolate chip cookies. In fact all types of clean cookie attempts have ended up in the cupboard or freezer for months on end and eventually in the bin. It doesn’t matter WHAT I tried, they always turned out more like rubber door stops than edible delights… until now! The biggest life lesson going around is ‘when you get knocked down – get back up’ and so I thought I would try ever so hard to redeem myself and bake some sugar-free healthy cookies once and for all. I tried a completely different technique and didn’t use any protein powder or eggs in the hope that they would resemble an actual cookie with a crunch factor. I was so surprised by the final result that I made a second batch the following day. These cookies store great in the freezer and are the perfect cookie for that afternoon sugar craving or late night crunch without ruining your healthy lifestyle. These cookies are sweetened with a date paste made from 100% organic raw medjool dates and low GI organic coconut sugar. I love cooking with (and snacking on) Medjool dates. They are natures number 1 sweet fix without the nasties and come down of the ‘white stuff’. Dates are packed with fiber for a healthy digestive system and full of essential nutrients and minerals. Try my sticky date pudding >> recipe here.
THE BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
About 16 cookies – GF SF V P DF – 15 minutes
15 medjool dates (pitted) soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
1 cup almond butter
1 cup spelt flour (could also use wholemeal flour or quinoa/buckwheat etc)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs flax meal or ground chia seeds
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate (quality matters – I use 70-85% Lindt dark or Raw Dark Loving Earth)
3 Tbs coconut oil melted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (you can omit this but I am a cinnamon addict so added it without thinking twice)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
METHOD
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
Soak dates in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Drain. Pour dates into food processor and process until it forms a paste. You may want to add a dash of hot water if it is not soft enough.
Mix the flax meal with 1/4 cup boiling water until a gooey gel forms. Add this to the food processor.
Add the almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla and coconut sugar and pulse until combined.
In a large bowl mix the ‘dry’ ingredients together. Pour date almond butter mixture into dry bowl and combine with a wooden spoon. Add the dark chocolate chunks and stir.
Roll into balls and place on baking paper. Flatten with a fork or your fingers and place in oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Cookies will be soft and delicate until they cool down. Allow to completely cool before transferring. I like to store mine in the freezer for that extra crunch and it also stops them from crumbling.
Enjoy!!
K
Note; I didn’t have flax seed meal at the time so I just added whole flax seeds for an extra crunch factor. If you do this you must omit the 1/4 cup boiling water as this is only for the flax ‘gel’. If your mixture is dry – add a little more boiling water. It should be sticky!
You can be a little bit creative with your cookies and add some extras like coconut, chia seeds, orange rind or goji berries… :)
I recently got my hot little hands on a box of the NEW Loving Earth chocolate range and COULD NOT wait to dig into the raspberry cashew flavour! Boy was it incredible. Just what I was expecting and more. I decided to whip is a super cheeky afternoon delight using my new products teamed with my all time favourite bare blends. Try this smoothie – it is mouth watering!! Add ice if you like it extra thick and enjoy it with a spoon! Like me! The berries powder is super high in antioxidants and the healthy essential fats and protein from the cashews and powder help decrease the rate of sugar absorption into your blood stream.
RASPBERRY CASHEW CHOC SMOOTHIE
Serves 1 – GF DF R V P SF – 5 minutes
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
small handful unsalted cashews
2 squares NEW raspberry cashew Loving Earth Chocolate >> SHOP HERE
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp Bare Berries powder >> SHOP HERE
1 scoop Dark Cacao WPI powder >> SHOP HERE
ice (optional)
METHOD:
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Top with some extra chocolate shavings and cashews and enjoy
K
Here is why this smoothie is so jam packed with nutritious goodness;
RASPBERRIES/BERRY POWDER; high in antioxidants they are great for all things beauty. Your skin, your hair and that radiant glow are all thanks to antioxidants found in berries. Raspberries are low in fructose (fruit sugars) and can be the perfect ingredient in your next smoothie. They also offer a bounty of health benefits, from helping control weight to possibly helping prevent cancer* (Live Strong.)
GREEK YOGHURT; is a great calcium source which is vital for healthy and strong bones. It also provides the body with added protein and prebiotics for healthy gut bacteria. For people who have intolerances to foods sometimes the problem starts when your gut bacteria is out of whack. So before you cull the dairy and yoghurt why not scull it instead and see if your tummy is happier.
PROTEIN POWDER; double nutritious if you use cacao protein powder too. Protein in smoothies makes them a wholesome healthy light meal or snack on the go. The protein aids in muscle recovery and will keep you fuller for longer
CASHEWS; packed with healthy unsaturated fats cashews can help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health. They are actually lower in fat than many other nuts which a lot of people do not know. Cashews are also great for reducing diabetes and blood sugar levels, so next time you are having some fruit or sugar – grab some cashews.
CACAO; super high in antioxidants this is the number 1 reason health professionals and foodies eat chocolate. Hint Hint; The darker the better because it contains the most cacao. Cacao is natures energy source and a high antioxidant known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system.
This Feature Friday on the blog I bring you Sabrina Muscat. A wholesome lifestyle advocate with a deep-rooted interest in health and nutrition. With ongoing study in nutritional science and life coaching, Sabrina has dedicated her life to investigating what it means to live a healthy, natural and organic life. Check out this amazing vegan thick shake recipe of hers. And choc mint… my fave! Continue reading “FEATURE FRIDAY – VEGAN DOUBLE CHOC MINT THICKSHAKE”
When it comes to dieting and eating right there are SOOO many different fads and diet rules that you SHOULD follow? But should you? The short answer is NO. The long answer… well grab a cuppa and keep reading! The motto of this post is … Whatever will make you most likely to consistently eat the way you are supposed to eat, THAT’S how you should eat. Whatever is most convenient, enjoyable and sustainable for YOU is the exact way YOU should organise your diet. Continue reading “WHEN, WHAT AND HOW TO EAT”
Protein balls are an absolute essential for the freezer in my house! I even have a stash in the freezer at work if I am about to dash off to a meeting and need something to get me by until my late lunch. Although they can be dangerous for people like me with zero self control when it comes to sweet treats! I tried rolling them super large so that eating one was enough although I just ended up eating a couple anyway. My limit is 3. You gotta draw the line somewhere! Continue reading “SALTED CARAMEL VANILLA NUT PROTEIN BALLS”
When it comes to eating healthy and working out, I rarely fall off the bandwagon. My daily routine consists of leafy greens, my morning coffee, sweaty gym sessions, stretching (and of course sitting on my bum 9-5… yes it’s not all lululemon and relaxing) But despite being a health nut/gym rat, there is one thing that has always stumped me… What to eat before and after a workout? and when? Continue reading “EATING BEFORE AND AFTER A WORKOUT?”
KATIE MORGAN 