If you’re like me and you’re always on the go, it can get hard to eat three healthy meals a day let alone snacks. Healthy eating takes planning. To help you incorporate more whole foods into your busy lifestyle I’ve come up with an easy snack recipe that you can make on the weekend, store in the fridge and enjoy for the next 10 days.
These Cherry Cashew Power Bites are perfect for pre-workout fuel because they’re a balanced combination of fat/protein/carbs that will keep you energized but not overly full (which can detract from the task at hand). Every ingredient is a whole food that your grandma would recognize. Best of all, there’s no added sugar so you don’t run the risk of a glycemic spike and resulting crash.
If you’re not a fan of dried cherries, opt for dried mango or wild blueberries–just make sure they are unsweetened and unsulphured.
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CHERRY CASHEW POWER BITES
What You’ll Need:
- 2/3 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup dried dark cherries (unsweetened)
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for garnish
- seeds of 1 vanilla bean
- 1/2 tbs lime zest
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
How to Make Them:
1. Soak cashews for 3-4 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. Soak cherries for 20-30 minutes until slightly softened and plump.
3. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a sticky dough is formed.
4. Use a teaspoon to spoon out enough to make a 1″ ball. Squeeze the dough in your palm to bring it together and roll between your palms until you get a nice ball.
5. Roll in shredded coconut to coat.
Recipe makes approximately 20 power bites. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
At approximately 110 calories per ball. I like to snack on one or two of these 30 minutes to an hour before I workout. They give me the energy my body needs to move and play but don’t weigh me down.