Energy balls: the ideal snack for your workout

Snacks that are good for your health and your taste buds? Learn how to know and prepare yourself the energy ballsThese little energy balls made of dried fruits and seeds give you a punch throughout the day.

What is the energy ball?

The energy ball has the same objective as the energy barsIt is round, homemade and has no artificial additives. Moreover, it can be prepared according to your tastes, your desires and your needs. This little gourmet snack is in fashion with all sportsmen.

It looks like a falafel (a meatball from the Middle East). But here, the chickpeas and beans are replaced by dried fruits and other foods rich in vitaminsin antioxidants, minerals and trace elements, in fibers and nutrients essential to muscle recovery... In short, a ball that wants to do you good!

What does an energy ball contain?

The energy ball is a very useful tool for the nutritional intake important for our body. It offers macronutrients and micronutrients essential for your metabolism and well-being. All you have to do is choose the foods to include in your snack according to the benefits you are looking for. Here are some dried fruits and their benefits for the health :

• prune: rich in carbohydrates, it is ideal for the effort and improves the intestinal transit
• raisins: this food for sportsmen is an energy concentrate and increases the concentration of insulin
• almonds: rich in magnesium, they tone the muscles and promote relaxation
• cranberry: with a high carbohydrate content, this plant is effective in preventing urinary tract infection
• macadamia nut: it has an anti-cholesterol effect
• cashew nuts: an excellent antidepressant
• dried apricot: the appetite suppressant par excellence

The benefits of energy balls

The reason why energy balls are so popular with athletes is that they are both healthy and nutritious.

Whether they are consumed before or after your sports sessionThey will provide you with an excellent energy supply.

These small gourmet snacks are prepared from natural ingredients. They contain vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, but also good quality sugars and fats.

The energy balls are therefore beneficial for your body: protection of the cardiovascular system, improvement of transit, reduction of fatigue, etc.

In summary, the energy ball is a healthy snack that takes care of the body, because :

• it provides energy and promotes muscle performance during your workouts
• it helps to recover after physical efforts
• it has many health benefits
• its appetite suppressant effect is particularly effective in the context of a slimming diet

When can you eat this snack?

Energy balls are snacks that you can enjoy at any time of the day. However, you must take into account their contribution in caloriesThey can lead to weight gain for sedentary people. You can eat an energy ball:

• during a training session of your bodybuilding program, to reinforce the development of your muscles
• during a hike
• before or after a sports session
• as a snack when you are hungry

It's also a great way to get your kids to eat dried fruit, as it's good for their health, well-being and psychological balance.

All the sugars contained in these dried fruits, as well as the lipids in the oilseeds, are natural and good for your health, as long as you don't abuse them. Indeed, eating 10 energy balls will have a counterproductive effect.

Be aware that when you perform a weight training session or sport, your muscles lose their glycogen reserves. They therefore need good natural sugars to rebuild them. This is the perfect time to consume your energy ball, as it is the only time when the sugar gap has no impact on weight gain.

By consuming 1 or 2 energy balls after the session, you will not put on weight, because your muscles will use the sugars as an energy source to replenish their glycogen stores.

How to prepare an energy ball ?

To control your calorie intake and keep your figure, the best way is to prepare your own energy ball. Here are 2 energy ball recipes easy to make.

Recipe #1: energy ball for bodybuilding enthusiasts

Ingredients

• 1 dose of whey protein
• 1 scoop of almond powder
• 2 doses of oatmeal
• 1 dose of honey
• 1 half spoon ofcoconut oil food
• 1 dose of chia seeds or sesame seeds of your choice for the decoration of your recipe

Realization

• Pour the almond powder, whey protein and oatmeal into a bowl. Add the honey and mix everything together, then add half a spoon of coconut oil until you get a homogeneous paste.
• Knead the dough obtained and form small balls of about 4 cm in diameter.
• Put the chia seeds (or sesame seeds, as you prefer) in a clean, dry bowl and dip the balls in it to coat them.
• Place the balls in the refrigerator for a few minutes. You can also prick them with wooden picks before putting them in the fridge, or place them in a freezer bag to take with you.

Recipe #2 : energy ball appetite suppressant to fill up with vitamins

Ingredients

• 1 half cup of cashew
• 1 half cup of pitted dates
• 1 half cup dried apricots
• 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips
• 5 hazelnut kernels

Realization

• In a blender, grind the cashews into powder.
• Add the dates and dried apricots, then mix to obtain a homogeneous paste.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Form small balls of dough.
• Then take a bowl and roughly crush the hazelnuts.
• Dip half the ball into the broken hazelnuts for a crunchy taste.
• Let stand in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

The recipes can be varied endlessly. Depending on your taste, you can replace the dates with prunes or figs, add the tip of a vanilla bean or integrate orange zest, lemon and even banana. Cinnamon, shredded coconut and peanut butter also go very well together!

Many other ingredients of your choice can be used if you count your calories and macros.

In order to lose weightWhile there are no bad foods or foods that make you fat, you should know that there is no such thing as a bad food or a fattening food. The most important thing is that you always have an overview of your diet.

Then it's all a matter of balance. If you like chocolate and are used to eating a few squares in the evening before going to bed, don't deprive yourself of it! Just make sure you include this little treat in your daily routine.

Of course, you should use the following products on a daily basis healthy foods and unprocessed (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.). Industrial foods are often filled with sugar and are harmful to your health.

To go further, discover in this book 50 healthy, fast and delicious recipes that will help you reach your goal!

How to store your energy balls?

Now that you know how to cook your energy balls, let's see how to make them keep.

If you can resist eating them all right after you make them, they can be refrigerated for several days. Packaged in an airtight container or freezer bag, energy balls can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.

If you wish, you can even keep them longer, up to 3 months, by putting them in the freezer. Just remember to take them out several hours before eating them so that they can regain their original texture and all their flavours.

In the end, you can indulge yourself with recipes based on proteins and filled with natural ingredients. Their benefits for athletes are absolutely perfect if you know when to consume them.

Need a nutritional follow-up?

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The benefits of oilseeds in bodybuilding