We have just come back from our trip out west and I’ve been dying to get in the kitchen and create some snacks for The McJordans (Walker, Vienna and I). These bites are the first recipe I’ve whipped up in my food processor since being back. I actually created this recipe a few months ago for my friends at Genuine Health, so I’ve been looking forward to sharing it with you because it’s made with my favourite superfood powder: fermented organic gut superfoods+ (note: I have also made this with greens+ kids in the past if you have that on hand, but please note it is no longer available)
These bites taste like a burst of freshness in your mouth! The lemon and blueberry is a wonderful flavour combination. The addition of the fermented organic gut superfoods+ really amps up the nutrition because it’s super rich in phytonutrients. Since phyto means “plant,” maybe I should have called them plant-powerballs!
Did you know there are over 23,000 known phytonutrients in plant foods?
Phytonutrients have many different roles in the body. Some act as fire fighters and extinguish any inflammation, some protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals that would otherwise accelerate aging of your skin or worse, promote cancer. Other phytonutrients aid in detoxification, which is what my second book Joyous Detox is all about! And if that wasn’t enough, there are phytonutrients that protect your mental health by preventing the breakdown of mood-boosting neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.
These Berry Green Bites are power-packed with phytonutrients, so let’s get to this recipe shall we? (as I nibble on one right now …)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup shredded unsulfured coconut
- 6 soft medjool dates, pitted
- 2 scoops fermented organic gut superfoods+ (summer berry pomegranate flavour)
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Blend until combined.
- Roll into 1 inch balls.
- Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for a few months.
Be sure to check my Instagram stories because I made them this morning and you can watch how I did it!
By the way, I used all organic ingredients for these bites including the fermented organic gut superfoods+ which is made with 21 organic plant-based superfoods. Organic is important to me. In fact, you can learn more about why I choose organic in this article I wrote for the Canadian Health Food Association here.
These Berry Green Bites are wonderful packed in your lunchbox as a mid-afternoon treat. You could make them nut-free by using sunflower seeds instead to make them school-friendly. Vienna LOVES these little bites because they are the perfect size for her little hands. If you’re making them for your little one, just make sure you blend them long enough so that you don’t have any large cashew chunks, which can be tough for young ones to swallow.
Genuine Health will be sharing this recipe and two more I created for them over the coming weeks so be sure to check out their blog!
Be sure to tag me #joyoushealth if you make them so I can see your creations.
Have a joyous week!
Joy
These Berry green bites look delicious, I always seem to be stuck on what to snack on. Can you tell me what is greens + kids mixed berry - do i make it or buy it. Please advise. P.S. I love your newsletters :) Cheers Penny
ReplyHi Penny! You can buy it at any health food store. Here's a link to the product information: http://www.genuinehealth.com/store/greens-kids Also, just a note it does NOT have "skim milk" added. The probiotics are grown on a dairy medium which means Health Canada forces supplement companies to label this way. Glad you love my newsletters!!
These look yummy! I've been really into making energy balls in the food processor lately. They are the perfect pregnancy snack!
ReplyHi Joy, What is greens ÷ kids? Health or organic store I assume? BLOU
ReplyHi Betty! It's a greens powder filled with superfood, fruits and veggies to ensure your little ones (or yourself) get everything they need! You can find it at most health food stores. It's delicious! Heather- Joyous Health Team
I am not a fan of protein powders. Can I make this without it? Isn't protein powder considered a processed food? It seems all nutritionists always use it for everything but I don't like the grainy artificial flavour of it. Any suggestions would help. Thank you.
ReplyHey Tunde! You can certainly make this without the protein powders. Usually in recipes like this, it's added to make the snack or meal more satiating, filling and balanced! Alternatively, you could incorporate hemp seeds or chia seeds. There are certainly a lot of protein powders out on the market that are filled with a lot of fillers, artificial flavours, colours and other funky ingredients. We like to use Genuine Health around here since it is made up of whole food ingredients (as opposed to synthetic vitamins) that are more easily absorbed by the body. If you haven't tried Genuine Health's Fermented Vegan Protein Powder, we'd highly recommend it – they have a plain flavour that might work for you if you don't enjoy a vanilla/chocolate flavour. Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Hi Joy, could you tell me what's the big difference between the kids
ReplyHey Erica! Greens Kids doesn't contain any herbs like the regular Greens does, making it a better and more gentle option for women who are pregnant. Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Is it possible to use a different type of nut? I seem to have a sensitivity to cashews. Thanks for any suggestions, Jocelyn
ReplyHey Jocelyn! You could try using brazil nuts, though we haven't tried it with this recipe. Almonds still do work as well (perhaps try soaking them prior to) but it won't give you the same dough-like texture that cashews give you. Still super delicious regardless :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Hi Joy! Do you soak the cashews first?
ReplyHey Joanna! You don't have to with this recipe, but it can help to make it a bit more creamy. If you have any digestive issues, soaking the nuts prior to using them can also help to make it easier to digest as it neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors within the nut and promotes the growth of vital digestive enzymes :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
I don't have dried blueberries on hand, I assume I could swap in dried cranberries?
ReplyHey Jenny! You could definitely swap in dried cranberries :) I'm sure that would be delicious! Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Hello Joy, I was curious about your recipe in your "Joyous Detox" recipe book called Apple Pie Bites, which is similar to this Berry Green Bites recipe above. That recipe includes brown rice flour; whereas this version above does not. I read somewhere that you can make your own brown rice flour by grinding it in the food processor. But I'm wondering if using raw brown rice powder in the apple pie bites without any cooking - is that safe? Thanks for your feedback.
ReplyHey Alexis, Raw brown rice flour is safe to consume :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Hi Rachel, The reason I ask about using raw brown rice is because I've never come across any recipes in the past where rice is used in its raw, uncooked state. So my concern is about ramifications of eating uncooked rice. One thought I had is that when you cook rice, it absorbs a lot of water which causes it expand to double its size. Would this expansion perhaps also occur in the body, thereby contributing to stomach upset and constipation... Do you have any resources that explain this? Being that ground rice is basically like a flour, and we don't typically eat uncooked flour (dough), I'm curious about the ramifications about doing this with rice. Thanks!
ReplyHey Alexis, I can't speak for ground brown rice specifically but both Joy and I use brown rice flour in our baking/cooking quite a bit and it doesn't cause any digestive issues in this nature. In fact, it seems to do the complete opposite given that it is a gluten-free flour and is easy to digest :) Rice and rice products do naturally contain dietary arsenic which can be toxic in high amounts but can be reduced by washing and cooking the rice with clean filtered water. For that reason too, it's important to rotate our grains and gluten-free flours so we aren't getting too much of one thing. I hope that helps! Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Curious where you get the dried blueberries? Anything I've come across has added sugar :(
ReplyThank you so much for sharing these amazing recipes. This is huge help for me since I’m always stressed about my 19 month old daughter’s nutritional needs. She’s a vegetarian baby so I’m constantly looking for protein ideas and make sure she’s getting iron rich foods etc. Thank you for making my life easier 🙏🏼
ReplyHey Surnita, I'm so happy you found the article so helpful! If you're still concerned about your daughter's nutrition, it may be helpful to schedule a consultation with a holistic nutritionist if you haven't yet already to ensure all of her nutritional needs are being met :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team