Summertime = Hiking time! Don’t fuel your body with prepackaged snacks full of sugar, fat and chemicals… save money and improve the quality of the food you eat by making your own “power” snacks. 
POWER BALLS
This is a variation of an edible play dough recipe I used as a teacher for several years. So if you haven’t played with your food lately, making this will be a real treat.
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond, sunflower seed, etc.)
- 1 cup powdered milk or protein powder
- 1/2 cup coconut flour or cocoa powder
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats, ground (you can also get rolled wheat, spelt, barley, triticale)
- 1/2 cup wheat germ or flax meal
- 1/2 cup almond or hazelnut or pumpkin seed meal (just grind them up)
This is really easy to do in a standing mixer but if you put some elbow grease into it you get a work out while you make your snack. Make these into round balls and roll in more nut flour if desired. These can be served and eaten as is, or baked at 325º for 5-6 minutes to firm them up. They keep for a week on the counter or in the pack.
Scott (my hunter/angler husband) has actually lived off of these for several days… obviously he survived. They have a great balance of quick energy fuel, protein from the nuts & milk or powder, fiber and slow burning carbs from the flour, oats and wheat germ or flax meal.
Additions and variations are never ending – the key is to keep them the right consistency to make a ball out of. However, this can be spread thinly in a pan, scored before baking and baked at a low temp for an energy bar. Why pay up to $4.00 per bar when you can easily make them yourself with ingredients you can pronounce!
For those of you that enjoy the science of nutrition, here’s my reasoning behind my choice of additions to the Power Balls.
PEANUT BUTTER (not a nut but a legume, high protein, coenzyme Q10 (protects heart), high antioxidants like blueberries, monosat fat, high niacin (protects against dimentia) iron, VitE, calcium, higher resveratrol than grapes, tryptophan)
SUNFLOWER SEEDS (GROUND OR AS A NUT BUTTER) (VitE, B-vitamins, polyunsaturated fat, minerals, fiber, protein)
COCONUT FLOUR 57% FIBER! GLUTEN-FREE (immune booster, quick energy, anti-bacterial, good for skin, thyroid function, lots of fiber, vitamins & minerals)
COCOA POWDER – THINK OF IT AS A NUTRITIOUS FLOUR (from a plant so has many of the health benefits & FIBER, flavonoids & antioxidants boost immune system, relax blood pressure, balance hormones, reduce chol., serotonin & endorphins (mood enhancers)
ROLLED OATS (insoluble fiber, reduces toxic acid, fights cancer, phytochemicals, vitE, many other minerals, keeps blood sugars balanced)
FLAX MEAL Needs to be ground otherwise it goes right through, Omega-3, fiber, anti-cancer, blood sugar stabilizer, high magnesium which lowers blood pressure, opens airways and can prevent migraines.
WHEAT GERM full of vitamins & minerals – more nutrients than any other vegetable or grain source, natural immune booster
ALMONDS (GROUND) (VitE, magnesium, zinc, iron, fiber, calcium, monosaturated fat, anti-inflammatory, heart healthy antioxidants, protein)
PUMPKIN SEEDS (GROUND) (the most nutritious seed, best source of magnesium, iron, tryptophan (mood booster), anti-inflammatory, prostate & bladder health, omega-3)
This recipe is from my book, The Power of Flour…
I would love to hear from you! Â Please contact me through this website with any comments or questions. Â You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter. Â Enjoy!
