Welcome to the first recipe of 2018!
I can't believe how fast 2017 flew by. But, here we are in January - a fresh start. I'm not really much for New Year's resolutions, but I do have a few this year that I've made for myself. Since I'm all about sharing goals and have no shame in doing so (HELLO Figure Prep) I will share one with you. One of my goals is to gain back my running endurance that I had at one time long ago and be able to run 3 miles in 30 minutes. Not only does this mean working up to running 3 miles consecutively with no walking breaks (something I currently can't do...whoops), but it also means running 10 minute miles (I currently am running about a 10:45 mile). This is coming from a gal who ran a 1/2 marathon at an average 10:00 pace 10 years ago. My, how things have changed...
What are your resolutions for this year? Do you have any? If one of your's happens to be eating healthier than you are in the right place!
Recently, I've been SUPER busy with all aspects of life: personal, social and career wise. I love it, I thrive off it actually. However, sometimes it does get the best of me and I don't have the time I'd like to prepare the meals I would like to be eating. I'm willing to guess that some of you struggle with the same problems I have.
This is exactly why I created these Chai Oat Protein Balls! These are super easy to make (no bake!) and are great for on-the-go. These are made with just 4 major ingredients...FOUR! (OK so if you count spices and vanilla extract it is technically 6, but you should seriously already have those on hand) All you need for these balls are dates, cashews, chai oats and vanilla pea protein, plus a little extra cinnamon and vanilla extract. Not only are these tasty, they are also gluten free and dairy free!
I am using True Nutrition's Gluten Free Quick Oats, sweetened with monk fruit and the chai latte flavor. If you don't have these on hand (although I highly recommend their products!) you can substitute with your own chai spice blend. Each ball packs 4 grams of protein and just 2.5 grams of fat.
I hope you gives these a try and let me know what you think!
Chai Oat Protein Balls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 balls
Ingredients:
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 oz cashews
- 2/3 cup True Nutrition Chai Latte Gluten Free Quick Oats (sweetened with monk fruit)
- If you don't have the TN oats, use plain quick oats and add 1 teaspoon of chai spice blend below and 1/2 tsp calorie free sweetener of your choice, i.e. monk fruit
- 1 scoop True Nutrition Vanilla Pea Protein (1/4 cup)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Water as needed
Chai Spice Blend (if substituting TN oats)
- I like this blend by Fit Foodie Finds (DIY Chai Spice Mix)
Baking Accessories:
- Food processor
Directions:
- In your food processor, combine pitted dates, cashews and 1 tbsp water. Pulse on high until a smooth paste of dates and cashews forms.
- In a medium bowl combine oats, protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla and date/cashew paste. Mix with a spatula to combine all ingredients. You should have a dough like consistency. If it is too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time to reach the desired consistency. We want the dough to hold and shape into balls so don't add too much liquid.
- Place into the freezer for about 15 minutes for the dough to cool and come together.
- Remove from freezer and roll into 12 equally sized balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutritional Information (1 ball):
95 calories - 4 g Protein, 13.7 g Carbohydrates, 2.6 g Fat