Spirulina Lemon Collagen Balls
What the in the heck is spirulina?!
It is a blue-green algae that comes from warm water lakes. It is mega-packed with nutrition and you should include this in your diet regularly. Algae is often forgotten about in Western culture, but it is a very beneficial food category for humans (especially vegans/ vegetarians). Check out the nutrition on this stuff.
Protein - 60-70% protein, which is more than most vegetables. This will keep you fuller longer and provide your body with building blocks for muscles, enzymes, skin and other organs
Vitamin B12 - this vitamin is essential and found primarily in animal products. For vegans, it is very important to get B12 levels up for energy and proper metabolism, so I recommend spirulina to help with this
Essential Fatty Acids - needed for all cell membranes and proper brain function
Iron - again for energy and at risk of being low if you do not eat animal products. You also need more iron if you are menstruating or doing lots of high impact activity
Chlorophyll - great for detoxing, energy and blood building. This is the green pigment found in foods and is very beneficial to the entire body
It is also easy on the gut, aids in detox, helps lower cholesterol, boosts the immune system and increases the absorption of essential minerals. It is safe to say that spirulina is a superfood that should be a staple in everyones kitchen. The one bad thing about spirulina is that it does not taste very good on its own - it tastes like algae. I usually take this as a supplement but I wanted to find a way to incorporate it into food items (I am trying to NOT take any supplements right now and get all of my nutrition from food, just like our ancestors did). So I invented this recipe and they actually taste great! The dates and the lemon tie the whole recipe together to make a very high protein and nutrient dense ball. They are a great snack or addition to a light meal, aaand they are boyfriend approved!!
I added in collagen powder, and cashew butter which are loaded with protein (plus the spirulina). The balls also have complex carbohydrates from the oats and dates, so these are also a great post-workout snack or mid-hike snack. I often have snack balls on hand and use a beeswax wrap to take them on the go with zero waste. I like that beeswax wraps are very compact while on hikes to save the space and weight of a food container. These snacks store well in the fridge and I have not tried freezing them yet, but I assume they would hold up pretty well due to their low moisture content.
Spirulina Lemon Collagen Balls
Ingredients
¾ cup dates - soaked
1 cup coconut flakes
3 tbsp collagen powder
⅓ cup GF oats
1 tbsp coconut flour
¼ cup cashew butter
2 tsp spirulina/ chlorella
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon - zested
Directions
Soak dates in warm water for 30+ minutes. Drain water and add to a food processor. Blend until a paste forms, remove from processor and place in a bowl
Add coconut flakes, collagen, oats and coconut flour to the food processor and blend until consistent powder forms.
Add remaining ingredients and blend until well combined
Roll into balls and store in fridge or eat right away