Healthy Protein Balls are a great choice for getting away from treats that have too much sugar. Today, many people are becoming aware of the health problems that come from eating too many processed foods that have high sugar content.
Processed sugar is used in foods as a sweetener, of course, in order to make products more palatable, and it’s also used as a preservative. But fruits are a natural source of unprocessed sugar since they contain fructose. Dairy products contain lactose, making them another source of unprocessed sugar. These sugars are not a problem for the body.
With candy, chocolates, and other processed foods that most people eat, you can easily overindulge, leading to unbalanced moods or energy levels. Ingesting too much sugar can also increase the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cognitive decline, and some types of cancer.
On the other hand, fresh or dried fruits, along with nuts and grains, give your body fiber and other nutrition that is not in processed foods. Sometimes you just need an energy boost. At other times, you would like to share a healthy treat with family and friends. Children and young adults can be quite active, playing sports or engaging in other forms of vigorous activity like jogging or hiking, and are sure to want a sugary treat to keep them going.
Eating a Healthy Protein Ball before and after exercise will help your body to recover more quickly thanks to the extra nutrition. Blood sugar levels are maintained by eating different types of carbohydrates together with protein and fat. This is a healthy treat made up of super-foods. Walnuts and other nuts, dates and other dried fruit, coconut, honey, and cocoa can also curb hunger pangs, giving you a guilt-free reward that tastes delightful, especially when you’ve made it yourself.
Trying, for the first time, a homemade Healthy Protein Ball that was given to me by a friend, I doubted it would stop my hunger pangs because I had tried the ones found in stores and those didn’t work for me. The Healthy Protein Ball made by my friend was twice as tasty and also stopped my hunger pangs.
Put your choice of ingredients into the Healthy Protein Ball and they are then tailor-made for what you think your body needs and according to your own taste preference. Recipes here have raw cocoa powder in them because it’s enriched with antioxidants and other nutrients that restore the body and uplift your mind. Some nutritionists recommend eating a piece of dark chocolate every day, and when you consider all the healthy compounds found in the cocoa bean, it’s easy to see why!
These little treats can also be taken to parties or be used for other special occasions. If you are worried about nuts, don’t use them. Put more dried fruit into your mix instead. With this recipe, you’re only limited by your own imagination. Try different ingredients and have fun making them!
This is how the protein ball mixture should look after ingredients have been mixed in a mini food processor. (Image: Trisha Haddock via Nspirement)
Use a food processor, small or big depending on the number of ingredients. Chop in half your ingredients if they’re too big. If small in size, then place whole into the food processor. Add raw cocoa powder and other dry ingredients and liquids. Blend all together until smooth. No food processor? No worries! You can use a knife to chop ingredients up fine and small. Place into a bowl and use a spoon to stir all the ingredients until they cling together. If your mixture is too dry, add a teaspoon of water or a little more of the liquid ingredients.
The Healthy Protein Balls are placed in a shallow container to put into the fridge to set. (Image: Trisha Haddock via Nspirement)
Healthy Protein Ball Recipes
Cocoa with Nuts and Peppermint
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp shredded coconut
- 2 heaping tsp. organic cocoa powder
- 2 tsp hazelnut oil
- a few peppermint leaves, for decoration
Note: I use fresh peppermint from the top of my peppermint plant, where the small leaves are. Alternatively, you can cut leaves to size.
Directions
1. Chop or put all ingredients except for peppermint leaves into a food processor. Process until everything is chopped up and mixed together.
2. Take a teaspoon full of mixture and shape it into a ball then place on a tray or in a container, and then put one or two small peppermint leaves on the top of your ball and press softly so the leaves stick.
3. Place in the fridge overnight or until set.
This mixture sets soft and pudding-like. When you bite into this ball with the leaf, there is an explosion of peppermint flavor that compliments the chocolate, nutty taste.
Healthy Protein Balls can be served for special occasions also. (Image: Trisha Haddock via Nspirement)
Ready to serve! On a blue square plate: Healthy Protein Balls placed in rows according to their different flavors. One row is the Fruity Pomegranate Nut Crunch, the middle two rows are Cocoa and Coconut with passionfruit, and two rows are Cocoa with Nuts and Peppermint.
Cocoa and Coconut with Passion fruit
Ingredients
- 1 large passion fruit
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pitted dates
- 2 tsp walnut meal flour
- 2 tsp organic cocoa powder
- 1/4 to 1 cup shredded coconut, for decoration
Directions
1. Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop the middle out into a mixing bowl or food processor.
2. Add hazelnuts, dried cranberries, pitted dates, walnut meal flour, and cocoa powder to the bowl. Mix or process until it all combines. If the mixture is too dry, add a teaspoon of water.
3. Place shredded coconut on a tray. Take a teaspoon full of mixture and shape it into a ball, then roll it into the coconut until the ball is covered. If you need more coconut, sprinkle more onto the tray.
This mix makes about 9 or 10 protein balls depending on the size of balls you make. Biting into these little treasures, you get a burst of passionfruit that pleases your mouth as you munch through the coconut, cranberry, hazelnut, and cocoa.
The Fruity Pomegranate Nut Crunch flavor of Healthy Protein Balls with juicy pomegranate pips inside as well as on top. (Image: Trisha Haddock / Nspirement)
Fruity Pomegranate Nut Crunch
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup pitted dates
- 2 heaping tsp walnut meal flour
- 2 tsp organic cocoa powder
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 pomegranate, for decoration
Directions
1. Chop dried cranberries, hazelnuts, and dates in a bowl or food processor then add walnut meal flour, cocoa, and honey. Mix or process until it all combines.
2. Take a teaspoon and scoop up enough to make a ball. You can make them bigger to fit more pomegranate pips in.
3. Use the tip of the teaspoon to make a depression in the top of the balls then insert two or three pomegranate pips. Cover the pips with more mixture so they are inside the balls.
4. Decorate with one or two pips on top for a bit of color. Place in the fridge overnight or until set.
Each bite of these gives you a taste of crunchy and juicy flavored pomegranate pips with cocoa, hazelnut, and a hint of honey.
Make a dip or small hole in the protein ball to put pomegranate pips in. (Image: Trisha Haddock viz Nspirement)
The above protein ball recipes are my creations. You can use other types of nuts like almonds or peanuts or use seeds like pepitas. I make them with unsalted nuts, but if you want to try a salty/sweet flavor combo, it would be fine to put in salted nuts. There is so much to choose from when it comes to dried fruit. You can try apricots, sultanas, or currants, but I feel the dates are essential to make the ball, as the dates help everything stick together. I use hazelnut oil when I make them, but you could also use coconut oil, apricot oil, or nut butter. You can also skip the oil completely and use only water to mix everything together. The protein balls can be stored in a sealed plastic bag or container in the freezer. If you would like to make more, you can double or triple the ingredients according to how many you want to make. This recipe is almost foolproof. Give it a try and make your own Healthy Protein Balls!
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