I tend to get through a lot of energy bars and snacks to fuel my cycling, running, marathon training and especially my ultras. I really appreciate Kate Percy's philosophy of #realfoodfuelsyoubetter. It's good to make your own snacks so you know exactly what's in them, for me that means vegan-friendly, and it's often cheaper. I've tried shop-bought carrot cake bars and they're fine, but when I came across Kate's recipe, I thought I'd give it a try.
Ingredients:25g walnuts
200g dates, pitted
100g dried apricots
100g carrots, grated
a few drops vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut oil
50g porridge oats
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp mixed spice
pinch ground ginger
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
(2 tbsp desiccated coconut to roll them in)
Once you've ble
nded the nuts (and I think you could choose your favourite nuts here - I did!), you just throw in the rest of the ingredients and blend it all up! The smell when you open the food processor lid is wonderful, so you know you're on to a good thing. These energy balls are full of fibre, rich in plant-based proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamin A. And they're vegan-friendly, of course.
Then you set about rolling this very sticky dough into balls. You can
choose the size yourself, depending on what you need. I’m not great at rolling mine into even, similar sizes so I go for the more ‘artisan’ look! As long as they’re big enough to give me a decent energy boost and small enough to fit in a pocket. Pop them
in the fridge
for an hour and it's job done! Keep them refridgerated and you've got yourself an excellent post-workout snack after a ride or run! Easy!
