FITFOOD | Cherry Bakewell Protein Balls

I love experimenting with protein powder. They are great as shakes, but that gets a bit boring after a while. In the past few months I have tried making a variety of protein balls and bars, which I could take out with me to keep me going throughout the day.

Just after Christmas, PhD Nutrition offered an amazing 40% off on all sales on their website. Since PhD is my go to protein powder, I immediately placed an order for 4 flavours of whey protein and a tub of creatine. I went easy, though, and only got the 1kg pouch of each, Chocolate mint and Chocolate peanut butter, and the 500gr tub versions of Belgian Chocolate and Cherry Bakewell.

It's been a while since I have actually made some protein balls. Tried the Cherry Bakewell in a post-workout shake with water on Friday and absolutely loved the taste. I wanted to make some protein balls to take out with me or nibble on inbetween meals with that flavour, so got a few ingredients together and tried it out. All I used were a can of chickpeas, some agave and a few scoops of the Cherry Bakewell Whey protein. They taste so good, although I must say I am not a big fan of the consistency. They are a little mealy, but with some more experimenting I am sure that it can be fixed in the future. 

So here's the recipe:

makes (about) 14 servings:

1  can (240gr drained) Chick Peas

3  scoops PhD Diet Whey in Cherry Bakewell (or brand of your choice)

4  tbsp Agave nectar

I rinsed the Chickpeas to get rid of the skin as much as possible and chucked them in a food processor. I added the agave and whey protein and processed until it looked doughey. I had to scrape down the sides a few times so it could all get combined into one dough.

Once it looks like dough, grab some and just roll it into a ball about the size of a cherry tomato (maybe a smidgen bigger) between your palms.

And that is it! It's very quick and simple! They would probably taste quite nice with bits of actual cherry in them, or possibly some dates. That's something I will have to try out and report back on. 

And as for the nutritional info:

For my 14 balls, this is what the MyFitnesspal app says there is per ball

Calories           - 43kcal

Total Fat          - 0.8gr

Sat Fat             - 0.1gr

Total Carbs     - 4.4gr

Dietary Fiber   - 0.8gr

Sugars             - 1.2gr

Protein             - 1.9gr

*******Bear in mind that these values should be taken as a guideline. They will not represent the exact nutritional value of each and every protein ball. Also, these protein balls are not all the same size. Unless you are a master roller, they will all vary in size and therefore nutritional value! *******

Hope you enjoy this recipe. Let me know if you are trying it out yourself! I you share on social media, make sure you tag me.

#suthsubproteinbites

x ♥ x

LIFE | Let's get this back on track

I'm back! Again! 

It's been ages since I had written a blog post. I wasn't sure if it was worth doing, but now the new year has started, I feel I should give this another go. As I said last year, I don't really do new year's resolutions, as - let's face it - they hardly ever get kept. I do feel like I should start something, like this blog, that I can keep up. It's that or learning an instrument. Keeping the blog up is probably more likely to happen. 

As I said, I had joined the gym in October 2013 and been going 3, sometimes 4 times, a week. I have also changed my diet, trying to eat cleaner with more vegan meals incorporated to my diet. Christmas just gone I stopped being strict on my diet and had hardly been in the gym. Which shows. I am not worried about it. But now I think I should use this blog to help me keep on track with the whole clean eating and exercising venture. So expect workout routines and clean eating recipes, as well as the "usual" stuff.

This is a transformation picture I posted on Instagram a few months back. It's great to remind me of how far I have come on days, where I feel like nothing I do is working. There is about 12-14kg difference between those two photos. Enough to make me feel comfortable in clothes that were 2 dress sizes smaller. 

Hopefully this blog will help me keep on track with writing and my weightloss journey. 

Hope you enjoy what you have read so far.

Thanks for stopping by, 

x ♥ x