Amla Berry Energy Balls with Ginger and Flax

🌟 Spiced Amla & Date Energy Balls

Looking for a snack that does more than just beat the afternoon slump? This recipe combines the legendary antioxidant power of **amla powder** (Indian gooseberry) with a zesty kick of ginger, sweet dates, and creamy cashews.

They taste like a rich, spiced cookie dough—but they are 100% raw, vegan, and packed with cellular defense. 

Learn about AMLA and cholesterol, also there are currently 245 results in nutritionfacts.org for a search of amla (also here you can see a link to the HNTD documentary at the top). Preview of video: reduced cholesterol, arterial stiffness, and inflammation (CRP cut in half!).

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Equipment: Food processor

Yield: About 24 bites

🛒 Ingredients

1 cup Raw cashews

⅔ cup Pitted dates (if they're on the drier side, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes first!)

⅓ cup Ground flaxseed (ground required for nutrient absorption)

1 tbsp Amla powder (your daily dose of Vitamin C & antioxidants)

1 tsp Ground ginger (for a warm, digestive-boosting kick)

🥣 Instructions

Add the cashews, dates, flaxseed, amla powder, and ground ginger to your food processor. Process on high until the mixture starts clumping together into a cohesive dough. If it feels a little too dry to roll, add a teaspoon of water. Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions and roll them smoothly between your palms. Enjoy!

Tip: Put dough in plastic bag and form balls from outside the bag. Also, crumbly mixture is great stirred into oatmeal before or after cooking oats.

Why this Combo Works

Amla powder is naturally quite tart and slightly bitter. Blending it with sweet, caramelly dates and rich cashews completely balances the flavor, leaving you with a delicious, zesty treat that supports radiant skin and immune health!

Comment below or on FB if you whip up a batch of these superfood gems! 🌿✨

Try other Laraball (energy ball) flavors! Many flavors

Where to buy Amla Powder? Here is an option if you live on the eastside of Cleveland: Lakshmi Plaza. Otherwise, look for your local Indian food Grocer, or find on Amazon. Be sure to purchase as a food, especially on Amazon, rather than as a supplement/extract/capsule. Oddly, the product from our local shop was labeled as a supplement, even though it is clearly a food in powder form.

This is a great product I've purchased from Amazon: Amazon.com : Organic Amla Powder - 1.1 lbs or 17.54oz | Amalaki, USDA Organics, Non-GMO, Kosher, Halal - 100% Raw and Natural, by SHOPOSR : Everything Else 

(notice the label provides "Nutrition Facts" and it is an organic product)

Chocolate Hazelnut Energy Bars

These hazelnut energy bars are addicting!

If you have ever had Nutella, and been missing the taste, this recipe will be exciting for you!

For me, the secret is buying roasted hazelnuts. I have tried roasting them myself, but haven't gotten that quite right.

You can check off the healthy foods of nuts, flax, and a fruit with this tasty snack!
See Dr Greger's Daily Dozen.

Chocolate Hazelnut Energy Bars / "Nutella" Squares
1/2c walnuts
3/4c hazelnuts, roasted*
1/2c flaxseed, ground
3/4c dates, pitted
1/4c cocoa, unsweetened
1 Tbsp water

Blend nuts, flax, and dates in a food processor ~ about 2 min. Then add cocoa and water to prevent cocoa from coming out the tiny openings of your food processor.

Form dough into whatever shape you like! It was fun pressing into a 9x9" pan and cutting into squares. Freezing briefly (20 min) before cutting helps, but is not necessary. Enjoy!

*remember, roasted hazelnuts are key!



Try other flavors! (I call these "Laraballs"...after Larabars :) )

Cherry Lemon Bars (New Laraball Recipe!)

OMGosh! These Cherry Lemon Bars are the bomb! So good I could eat a whole batch at once! In fact the first time I made them, I did! I never even had a chance to give my kids a taste! I have been envisioning this recipe for years, as the idea sat on one of my many lists. Lemon and berries are fabulous! Also, I added a few ingredients to bump up the Dr Greger Daily Dozen check marks! 

Check marks: 1) nuts, 2) fruit, 3), flaxseed, and 4) spices
Here you go!

Cherry Lemon Bar Laraballs
3/4 c unsalted cashews
1/3 c pitted dates
1/4 c dried cherries (try for unsweetened...I found sweetened with juice from Whole Foods this week)
zest of half a fresh lemon (actually I just trim off the lemon peel with a knife like this)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp arrowroot
1 tsp vanilla

Blend ingredients in a food processor, until dough begins to fall away from edges, to desired consistency, and form into balls (the photo shows bars, but they are actually much more time consuming than balls), and enjoy!

Put all ingredients in a resealable bag and form dough into balls, so you don't get "food hands". Sorry to Laraball fans to be redundant, but I want everyone to know our easy tricks!



What the Health
This movie was AMAZING! I highly recommend you watch ASAP! Not surprisingly, the website looks like a fabulous resource as well. For example, the FACTS page :)You can stream and download any time for just $9.99!

I was lucky enough to attend a Q and A with the funny, sweet, and knowledgeable Caldwell, Ann, and Jane Esselstyn :) They are an amazing family!

Special thanks to Plant Based CLE (on FB) and Jane Esselsyn's Health Care is Self Care, the awesome organizations responsible for the fabulous event!

Coming soon: some of my favorite lessons from Dr Esselstyn, as well as some great nuggets from What the Health!

If you like what you find here, please "like" the fresh-you FB page, and share with your friends and families. Thank you!

New Laraball Flavor: Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough!

This delightful recipe was inspired by a Laraball recipe, No-Bake Carrot Cake.

This recipe doesn't make a pretty picture, but it sure is tasty! It also has about 5 check marks on Dr Greger's Daily Dozen checklist from his awesome book, How Not to Die. He provides a list of the healthiest foods to eat every day, according to the best available nutrition evidence.

You'll get 1) nuts, 2) fruit (dates, raisins, pineapple), 3) other vegetables (carrot), 4) spices (turmeric, and more!), 5) flax.

Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough
1 c walnuts (2/3 + 1/3)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c pitted dates (5 pieces)
1/2 of a large carrot, chopped in a few pieces
1/4" fresh turmeric
1 piece unsweetened dried pineapple

Simply blend all ingredients (except 1/3 c of walnuts) in a food processor until they stick together like a gooey dough. Add 1/3 c walnuts, and blend a bit more, so you have some extra crunch! Then put the whole dough ball into a resealable bag and make into balls from outside the bag without getting gooey hands. Really, you can just pull/pinch out a piece of the dough, and pop it in your mouth. We refrigerate the dough because it is moister than other Laraballs. Enjoy!

You can also try Skinny Mints which are chocolate-mint Laraballs; they are like Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies and PB and J Poppers!

"Like" my FB page to see on your home page when new posts show up here!

PS- if you haven't, please check out the previous post! Free Naked Food Subscription AND Vegan/Vegetarian Stuff Popping Up Everywhere! It was so fun to make! It's about how we keep hearing about vegetarian, vegan, tufu, organic, etc in shows and books and magazines. I think it's a good sign that more and more people are becoming aware of this healthier way of life! Also, you can subscribe to a new PBWF magazine for free! It's called Naked Food, and it was created in association with The China Study.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell me in a comment below!

3-Ingredient Pecan Pie Bites!

I have now made these Snickerdoodle Laraballs (or No-Bake Cinnamon Pecan Pie Bites) several times in the last week or so. I just can't get enough, which is ok since they are super-healthy! I hope you LOVE them too!

ALL YOU NEED:

2/3 c PECANS*
1/2 c DATES (10 pieces)
1 Tbsp CINNAMON

I usually TRIPLE this recipe!

Blend everything in your food processor for a few minutes, until the dough begins to fall away from the outside walls. Form dough into balls (or bars or whatever shape you like) and viola! I always put my dough into a large plastic bag and form balls from the outside of the bag (I don't like food hands!).

*Toasting is a great addition! Toast pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet at about 400 for about 8 min. Watch closely, let them darken, taste for doneness, they should sizzle when you bite!

This mixture is super tasty with cereal and almond milk for breakfast! It's like the Apple Cinnamon Cheerios I ate as a kid, or just like when I added cinnamon sugar to cereal, another childhood memory. Only this mixture is so much healthier, adding vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, and best of all, yumminess!

As with all Laraballs (lots of yummy flavors at bottom of this link), there is no gluten, dairy, sugar, butter, or oil, so they are truly a guilt-free pleasure. I don't think anyone should ever feel GUILT about food, and, most of the time, I enjoy practicing what I preach about this :).

After I made them, I remembered a delicious recipe I had made and loved from Melissa's My Whole Food Life, No-Bake Snickerdoodles. Her recipe is also very tasty!

COMMENTS: What healthy options do you make that remind you of something you ate when you were a kid? And who else likes (or ever liked) Apple Cinnamon Cheerios? Happy Lunar Eclipse! Did anybody see it? My family tried, but I guess it was too cloudy :(

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

I finally gave these overnight oats a try, and when last night I made them for the third time in a week, I thought I should share! If you don't want to wait until tomorrow to eat them, just cook them up on the stove! Here is the recipe for two hearty servings.

Pumpkin Overnight Oats
1.5 c rolled oats
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 tsp cinnamon (more or less depending on your taste buds!) or some pumpkin pie spice
1-1.5 c water (I used 1.25 for thick oatmeal)
1/2 c Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Laraball crumbs

Stir it all up, put it in the fridge, and go to bed.  Enjoy a nice breakfast with no work in the morning!

NOTES

If you don't have any Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough handy, just chop up some walnuts and dates, and add a dash of salt!

Pumpkin puree: I got a HUGE can at Gordon Food Service and divided it into 1 cup servings (a dozen or so!) for easy use in the future!

Instead of water, you can use any type of milk for a creamier version.

Try other Laraball flavors as well (minus the pumpkin most likely :).

Please omit salt :)

COMMENTS

What is your favorite activity for fall?  I really love apple picking, and it's getting cold, and we haven't done it!  Fingers crossed for one more nice day when we aren't busy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Laraballs

These Laraballs are ADDICTING!

Only 2 or 3 ingredients and completely satisfying!

No OATMEAL, BUTTER, EGGS, BAKING, GLUTEN, or SUGAR!

LARABALLS: Always Healthy, Gluten-Free, Fast!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough

1 1/4 c walnuts

3/4 c raisins

Other add-ins: cinnamon, or rolled oats (for a lower-calorie treat)

Blend in a food processor until a dough forms, and  enjoy!

You can eat it by the spoonful, 

or transfer the mixture into a plastic bag and make balls from the outside of the bag, 

or use candy molds and freeze like shown below. 

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough

Fresh-You RECIPES are so EASY, they can be written up (and made) by kiddos, especially Laraballs!  Click here for more flavors!  This afternoon, my daughter decided to make a "book of food" when included nearly twenty recipes/pages that she could make!  Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Laraballs made the cut (though the words didn't come out boldly enough to see in the pics below)!

When kids help decide about what to make and help make foods, 

they have big appetites for what is on the menu!

COMMENTS: Do you have certain foods that you eat when you are in a "healthy mode/phase"?  In my house, if there is a bag of Laraballs prepared/handy, everyone is less hungry, cranky all day long, and eating less junk!

Cashew Cookie Laraballs

Larabars are awesome!  Cashew Cookie was one of the original flavors!  It's also one of the first Laraball flavors I tried to recreate (Check out all the yummy flavors!).  Now you can too!

Buying Larabars is great for CONVENIENCE; ready INSTANTLY, if you don't have 3 MINUTES to make up a batch! Additionally, the sealed up in a wrapper offers ready-to-go-ness, and hardly ever goes bad-ness! Not that we have ever had a Laraball hang around long enough to have a chance to "go bad".

Cashew Cookie Laraballs

1 c roasted cashews

1 c dates

optional: dash of salt

Combine nuts and dates in a food processor* until mixture is moldable into balls (this batch makes twice as many balls as other Laraball recipes, ~3 dozen), OR you can shape them with cookie cutters like these cute hearts that my daughter made on her own!, OR you could make sandwiches with apples!

*If you only have a mini, use 1/2 c of cashews and dates each to make ~16 balls.

Apple sandwiches with these Cashew Cookie Laraballs taste like caramel covered apples!

(Apple Brownie Sandwiches are also pretty fabulous!)

 

 COMMENTS: What do you pack for "treats" in your lunch, or your kids' lunches?

New Laraball Flavor: Lemon Bars! AND Costco Dates are BACK!!

Costco dates have returned!!!

I have been missing these for months!  Check it out: I (my hubby actually came home with them for me!) bought a whole case!  These are pitted, moist, and CHEAP!!!

Golden Tunisan Deglet Noor Dates from Costco!

Dates are high in potassium and fiber and dates are super-sweet, 
and these have no preservatives!

Healthy Lemon Bars

3/4 c dates, pitted, above brand is awesome!
3/4 c cashews, roasted and unsalted
zest of one lemon, cut the thin sliver of only the yellow of the lemon peel
(see Orange Almond Biscotti post for photo)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend!

Shape into balls or smash into a pan for squares, and enjoy!

Wonder what to do with the rest of the lemon? Make lemonade! Sugar-Free Lemonade coming soon!

Chocolate Cherry Torte Mousse

Hope your valentine treated you sweetly!  If you are still wanting MORE, try this!

Lick your lips, super-SAVORY!!

This is the Chocolate Cherry Torte Laraball version of Power Pudding!

Chocolate Cherry Torte Mousse

1 avocado
1/2 c almond milk
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c dried cherries (unsweetened is ideal!)
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth!

Makes about 4 1/2 c servings of thick and creamy, tart, sweet, and savory mousse!

Best eaten right away!

Plus, check out these super-cute, easy, heartsy crafts we did today!  Happy Valentine's Day!

SHARE IF YOU DARE!  Do you find crafts online?  What is your favorite, easy, craft that you have found?  I like to search in google under "images" to see what I want fast -- often that's all I need!

YUMMY Flavored Oatmeal! -- try MINT CHOCOLATE!

Love those packets of INSTANT OATMEAL with all the yummy FLAVORS?

Here is a way to have them, and AVOID sugar or artificial sweetener!

Ahead of time, you can prepare any LARABALL flavor, but leave as a crumble, instead of shaping into balls.

We have been especially enjoying MINT CHOCOLATE OATMEAL!

2-3 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1 c or so of rolled oats (Old Fashioned Quaker Oats are great!)

1/4 c or so of Laraball SKINNY MINT crumble

In a large microwaveable, glass bowl, combine all ingredients and cover in water.  Cook in microwave for 4 min or so.  Stir up and enjoy!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Do you enjoy your oatmeal plain or sweetened?  Do you do it yourself, or packaged?  What crazy flavor can you imagine?:

Choco-Peanut Crunch Laraballs

Peanut Butter Cup Laraballs!

(Learn about Laraballs HERE.)

These are a simple variation of the Brownie Bites.

1/2 c peanuts, roasted, unsalted

1/2 c dates

1/8-1/4 c cocoa, unsweetened

1-2 Tbsp CHIA SEEDS*

2 tsp vanilla (optional)

1/8 tsp salt (omit if using salted peanuts)
*for less crunch use 1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp water

Combine everything with a food processor until well blended. Empty contents into large re-sealable plastic bag. Form into one inch balls. Enjoy!

 

If you're feeling WILD, just try eye-balling these quantities and see how it turns out! I'm sure it will be a SUCCESS!

 

The CHIA SEEDS are a new and unusual ingredient for a Laraball. They are tasteless and only provide the tiniest little crunch (like a raspberry seed, or the crunch you might notice when chewing a Fig Newton). Barely noticeable, AND SUPER nutritious!! = add as much in to your diet as possible! You can throw chia seeds into anything!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Do you ever remember a winter like this one?  62 today - really?!  It sure is great for runners, like me!  Are there wintry things you want to be doing, but haven't been able too?  A friend of mine's husband built an ice skating rink for their boys for this winter, and it hasn't gotten much use, bummer for them.  She IS a runner, so at least she is loving the random warm days!

Choco-Candy Apple Parfait!

THESE are awesome!

Thanks again to Lisa, for her fabulous idea about Brownie Bites and Apple Sandwiches!  It was from that idea that I got another idea!  Choco-CANDY APPLE Parfaits!  The apple sandwiches are delightful!  For kids, even though they think they're really cool, it can be just a little messy.

SO I thought of putting it all in a bowl with chopped apples, then I thought the creamy yogurt on top would be perfect!

Brownie Bites
Apples, chopped
Non-dairy yogurt, plain

Greek yogurt is so super creamy and rich that fat-free is about all you'll find!

Fill the bottom of the bowl with 1/2 c or so yogurt.
Cover with Brownie Bite crumble (maybe 1/8 c).
Add about 1/2 an apple chopped up.
Add another dopple of yogurt.
Sprinkle a bit more Brownie Bite crumble.
You can even add a piece of dark chocolate for fun!

The possibilities here are endless!
Try any Laraball flavor and any fruit!  Yum!

Chocolate Cherry Torte with mixed berries?
Skinny Mints and bananas?
Cranberry Confections with fresh cranberries?  ...might have to wait for Thanksgiving for this one!
Carrot Cake with bananas?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  What combination do you like best?  Have other ideas?

Healthy Cranberry Cookies (Late-Night Dessert, or Breakfast!)

My kindergartner wanted to bake cookies the other day, SO I used the Cinnamon Cranberry Confections ingredients:

1/3 c walnuts

1/4 c almonds

1/3 c raisins

1/8 c dried cranberries

1/4 tsp cinnamon

PLUS 1/2 c rolled oats, cooked with water, in the microwave.

Blend all ingredients -- mixture may be more coarse than for "Laraballs".

Scoop around 12-16 dollops on to baking sheet -- I love my silicone baking sheets!

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

My daughter added 2 chocolate chips to each cookie!

Yum!

THIS BATTER would also be an AWESOME breakfast!!! It is SO good! Don't be afraid to have a lick -- nothing in it needs to be cooked! Have as much as you want -- it's all nutritious!!

Get creative and I'm sure you could bake any of the Laraball recipes! It sure works for Cinnamon Crannbery Confections!

How to Make Brownies in 5 Minutes or Less!

Brownie Bites are every bit as rich as any brownie I've ever tasted! No baking required!

Brownie Bites

1/2 c pecans

1/3 c dates

1/4 c cocoa, unsweetened

1/8 c flaxseed, ground

1. Simply blend all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Continue to blend/pulsing until fine mixture forms, and begins to come away from the edge of the container.
3. Next, put mixture into plastic sandwich bag. Hint: you can put your bag into a mug, folding the edges of the bag over the edge of the mug (like a trash can). This just helps you fill your bag fast.
4. Now you can shape the dough into balls without getting your hands all greasy. One inch diameter is a nice serving, and even smaller is good for little kids. They can pop the whole thing in their mouth without making a mess of crumbs.
5. Alternatively, you could mash the whole mixture into a container and cut into squares.

While some flavors, especially Skinny Mints, taste great frozen, these taste much better refrigerated or at room temperature.

These are really nutritious, just like Larabars! They even make a great breakfast with coffee! Having young children, I often find myself being up for a few hours without having eaten, even though I'm sure to feed the kids right away! These are great to pop in my mouth as soon as I come downstairs, so I can lift my metabolism, energy, and mood right away!

These are yet another "Larabar ball" or Laraball flavor! If you like these, you might also like to try some other flavors:

Skinny Mints

PB&J Poppers

No-Bake Carrot Cake
and More!

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? TELL ME IN A COMMENT: How do you like your brownies? Plain, smooth? Or do you like them with stuff in them, nuts, fruit, caramel, marshmallow...???

Larabars Rule!

Larabars are an amazing treat! I cannot say enough about these bars! They are jam-packed with nutrients and made completely from whole foods (fruit, nuts, and spices)! Most Larabars usually have an ingredients list you can usually count on one hand!

There are no preservatives, chemicals, artificial flavors, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, or anything other junky ingredients.

The cool part is that they are super-yummy and satisfying! It is hard to decide a favorite since they are all so delicious! I first found them at Costco, which is always impressing me with it's nutritious selection...though there are not available at Costco currently, unfortunately.

Ok, so Larabars are such a refreshing find! They are a convenient snack that you can keep with you where ever you go. They are high in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber! They're hip and trendy and mouth-watering!

Try one today and I promise you will not be disappointed! Ok, so if I have to pick, my favorite of the day is Chocolate Chip Cherry Torte! By the way, if you have a little time, and want to keep your money in your pocket book -- make them at home! Super easy and fun for kids! Here are a few recipes you can try! No-Bake Carrot Cake, Skinny Mints, PB&J Poppers.  Plus, a whole post called Learn about LARABALLS!

By the way, happily, today Larabars are widely available. Try some different flavors and try to pick a favorite! Then go to amazon.com's Subscribe and Save to buy a case, for less than anywhere I have ever seen! The www.amazon.com price is less than you can find locally, and then Subscribe & Save is an additional 15% discount. As soon as your order arrives, you may cancel your subscription with a quick click.

"Like" the fresh-you Facebook page here!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? -- Tell me, in a comment below, have you ever tried to copy a food product you usually buy from the store or a meal from a restaurant?

No-Bake Carrot Cake!

Per request :) Plus, I gave one of these to a guy on an airplane and he said they were "FANTASTIC!" ...he also said he hadn't had breakfast; but hey, these could be your breakfast! They are nutritious and filling, and easy to bring with you where ever you go!

No-Bake Carrot Cake
1/3 c almonds
1/3 c walnuts
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c pitted dates
1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 to 1 tsp allspice
1/2 to 1 tsp unsweetened coconut
1 Tbsp pineapple juice (I use from canned pineapple in juice)
1/2 carrot (3-4 baby carrots)

Simply blend all ingredients in a food processor until they stick together like a gooey dough. You can leave a bit CHUNKY to better resemble carrot cake! Then you can put the whole dough ball into a resealable bag and make them into balls without getting gooey hands; one inch diameter works well. We keep refrigerated, though this probably isn't necessary. Freezing works really well too! Enjoy!

You can also try Skinny Mints (chocolate-mint Laraballs...like Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies) and PB&J Poppers!

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell me in a comment below: Do you talk to strangers on airplanes? Has anyone ever offered YOU food? Would you eat it?