The world really has become a more veg-friendly place, thank goodness! But at the end of the day, even if your diet is plant-based or not, we have all found ourselves at some point immersed in work, trying to beat a deadline while simultaneously trying ignore that loud growl from our stomachs because we forgot to eat. If you are plant-based, then you know, hell hath no fury like a hangry (hungry + angry) vegan with no veg options in plain sight. One of the best ways to mitigate emotional meltdown is to plan ahead. That means preparing lunch in advance or carry around easy peasy snacks that are grounding and satisfying enough to hold you until you can get home to cook a meal or head out to meet friends for dinner. Below is a recipe for power balls, one of my favorite go to snacks. Super quick to make, easy to keep for the week, great as a quick dessert or snack during a day, and of course delicious. If you like these you can make your own cool variations. For instance, adding in 1 tsp of ashwanghanda, a powerful grounding herb awesome for an energy boost and stress relief is a great way to get more nutritional bang for your buck. -XO
Power Balls
Yield: Makes 20
Ingredients:
1 cup almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup pitted dates
1/2-3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I prefer almond butter – do you boo!)
2 pinches salt
Shredded coconut for coating (optional)
Directions:
- In a food processor, pulse almonds until coarse meal forms. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, dates, peanut butter, and salt.
- Pulse until everything mixes into a uniform mixture.
- If the mixture seems dry add more nut butter or a little coconut oil. Mixture should form easily into balls.
- Roll into 1 inch balls and refrigerate.
- Serve immediately or later when chilled. Enjoy!
