This is one of my all time favorite dishes to make. By using nutritional yeast instead of cheese, it not only makes it vegan, but gives it a nice, creamy texture minus the fatty feeling you may get from dairy. It is easy to prep and can get all done within 45 minutes. Recipe adapted from Pela and you can watch their video on how they do their take on the recipe.
Ingredients:
Package of pasta of your choice, I personally prefer fettuccine
1 squash, any kind, I find that acorn and butternut squash are the best
1 or 2 zucchinis depending on if you want more or less vegetables
2 cups of grape tomatoes
Two cloves of garlic
One bunch of basil
Quarter cup of pine nuts or walnuts or almonds* (optional)
Quarter cup of hemp seeds*
Quarter cup of nutritional yeast*
Half of a lemon
Quarter cup of olive oil
salt and pepper (optional)
How to Make it Zero Waste:
Most of the produce you can get plastic free or at the farmers market. The ingredients with the asterisk can be found in bulk food stores but I find that pine nuts, hemp seeds, and nutritional yeast can be harder to find. The nuts are not required but can give a nice nutty flavor.
Tools Needed:
Cutting knife for vegetables
Blender/Food Processor
Large pan to saute
Large pot to boil pasta in
Spatula
Pasta spoon
Colander to strain the pasta
Instructions:
Preparing the Pesto:
De-stem the basil and only put the leaves in the blender or food processor.
Add the nuts, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and olive oil.
Squeeze half a lemon into the mix, making sure to capture any seeds so it does not get into the sauce.
Blend until it is made into a puree. Taste and see if there is anything extra needed. If you want more creaminess, add more nutritional yeast. If you find it is bland, you can add more lemon or salt and pepper.
Vegetables:
While preparing the vegetables, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta when it has come to a boil and follow the package’s instructions for how long to boil the pasta for.
Squash: Cut off the skin from the squash and cut them into cubes. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the large pan and bring it to medium-high heat. Add the squash to the pan and have it cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes
Zucchini: Cut the zucchini(s) in half then cut the halves into quarters. Slice the quarters and then add to the squash in the pan. You can add the zucchini at the same time as the squash or wait till a few minutes after.
Garlic: Mince the garlic and add it to the pan to cook.
Grape Tomatoes: Cut the grape tomatoes in half then add it to the zucchini and squash. After 5 minutes, all vegetables should be soft enough.
Don’t forget to compost all your scraps when complete!
Mixing It All Together
When the pasta is done, strain the pasta. Remember you can collect the salt water and use it as a natural weed killer from Sustainable Tip 8.
Pour the pasta back into the large pot and add the vegetables as well as the pesto. Mix them all together, and enjoy!
Like the recipe? Have your ideas on what could be added or changed to the recipe? Let me know in the comments!
Enjoying my favorite Saturday activity at the Durham Farmers Market in NC.
One of my favorite Saturday activities is going to the farmers market. Wherever I live, I love to go meet farmers in person who have put their heart and soul into growing the food that goes onto my plate.
To be considered locally grown food, it is often considered as food that is grown or processed within 100 miles from the farmer and the consumer. This includes fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, and meat. Buying local food is not only a great way to help out with the environment, but also comes with many additional benefits for your health, the local economy, as well as your community.
Environmental Benefits:
Some big, organic avocados found at a local farmers market in Kauai, HI.
Reducing Carbon Footprint to Transport Food: According to researcher Rich Pirog at Iowa State University, the average piece of produce travels 1,500 miles. The more food that has to be imported from other states or countries, the more fossil fuels are consumed. Buying local food reduces the distance food travels from farm to consumer, creating a reduction on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions to reduce your carbon footprint.
Eating Seasonal Food rather than Out of Season: Having foods when there in season means less demand from having them sent overseas during out of season periods. Adjust your diet according to what is in season for your area to help reduce the demand of importing food from overseas when they can be grown locally.
Preserves Genetic Diversity and Green Space: When producing crops on a large scale, it usually requires only using certain genetic strands in order for them to last longer or look a certain way by the time it gets to the consumer. Many small scale farms aren’t limited and try to use a range of genetic strands to preserve not only genetic diversity, but biodiversity as well.
Often Pesticide Free: Getting organic certifications can have high costs small farms aren’t able to afford, but many local farms do use minimal or no pesticide. Meanwhile, many large scale farms require using pesticides in order to control pest maintenance or preserve their food. Eating locally means less exposure to unnecessary chemicals, and if you aren’t sure if the farmer uses pesticides, just ask them directly!
Health Benefits:
Grabbing some healthy beets for a healthy heart 🙂
Preservative Free: When grown at a large scale, food may be sprayed with chemicals in order for food to last to travel long distances. Or when imported, they are often picked early and then artificially “ripened” with ethylene gas once it reaches its destination. Since food is generally picked 24 hours before selling at local farms, no chemicals are needed to preserve freshness for less exposure to unnecessary chemicals.
More Nutritious and Flavorful: The less time between harvest and reaching the consumer, the more likely the food’s nutrient value is still in tact as it is picked at the peak of ripeness. One example is a study from Montclair State University which found that broccoli that was imported out of season only retained half of its Vitamin C value compared to broccoli grown in season. Also with less chemical exposure means foods tasting better due to their freshness.
More Well-Balanced Diet: Having locally grown food with less chemicals could help reduce any digestion issues and help you to incorporate a more healthy, balance diet versus a processed, packaged diet.
Improve Food Safety: Food safety, especially in a time like COVID-19, has become increasingly important. Imported food can pass through different hands, trucks, crates, and borders before it reaches you to increase risk of contamination. Buying local has less processing steps in between to help reduce food’s contamination risk.
Economic Benefits
Supporting other local businesses at the farmers market like bakeries.
Keep Money Within the Community: Choosing local food means supporting and keeping money within the community, and to help local businesses prosper.
Local Farmers Keep More Profit: Keeping food local means reducing costs to transport and distribute food, helping them keep profits to have their business thrive.
Create Jobs: Supporting local farms helps to stimulate jobs within your community and help the local economy.
Support Other Local Businesses: When you go out to eat, support local businesses and restaurants that get their supplies from local farmers to keep business and farming more local to boost the economy.
Community Benefit:
Preserving Small Farms: As small farms are able to maintain profits, they are less likely to sell land to developers. Preserving small farms means keeping farming practices that support sustainable agricultural practices, as well as help foster biodiversity for animals and bugs to live and thrive. Many of these small farms are also family run, and supporting locals can help keep family traditions going and support family development.
Bringing the Community Together: Buying from those locally gives the opportunity to get to know the growers, and to build relationships with community members to bring the community together.
Knowing where your food comes from: Getting food locally can give a better understanding of where and how your food is produced. This can help to encourage more sustainable practices within local farms rather than resource intensive methods from commercial agriculture. You may be able to visit the farms yourself and pick your own produce, too!
Putting Power to Your Money: As people are getting more concerned about how food is being produced, buying local can support those whom’s farming practices you believe in.
Improve Well-Being: It’s a great feeling of satisfaction knowing that your actions to choose local are helping your community, economy, and the environment, giving the great feeling of knowing your purchase is making a difference.
Where to Buy Locally Grown Food:
Farmers Markets: Many towns and counties have farmers market that may occur once or twice a week. You can search via the web if there is once in the area, use the locator from Local Harvest, or the farmers market directory from USDA.
Community Supported Agricultural Programs (CSAs): Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) are programs community members can join by paying a share to help local farmers grow their food while having access to seasonal produce. Local Harvest provides more information on CSAs as well as where to find local CSAs and tips for for choosing CSAs.
Events, Gleaning, and Stands: Some farms give the experience to pick your own produce by paying a fee to pick in the fields. Another form of this is gleaning where people can come pick remaining crops when the farm has completed harvesting. Some farmers set up stands on the side of the road so if you see someone selling on the side of the road, pull over and see what they have to offer!
See if your Grocery Store Sells Local Food: Many grocery stores, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Co-ops work hard to buy produce that is local to their store location. You can check out the Co-op Directory to see if there is a co-op near you, or ask your grocery store what local food they sell in their store.
Grow it Yourself: Nothing is more local than walking into your backyard and picking your own produce! If you have the space, you can make raised beds to grow produce in or even raise your own chickens. It’s a great way to past the time as well as feel accomplished growing your own food.
Still composting and diverting as much waste as possible 🙂
“You’re more likely to get coronavirus buying something new that got coughed on by the last person to walk down the aisle than from a secondhand item that’s been washed with soap and water or wiped down with sanitizing wipes.”
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has led to shock and dismay across the world. Many people don’t know how to react and respond to the pandemic. During this time of uncertainty, I am left to wonder how COVD-19 will impact sustainability. Long ago, I swore to never use disposable coffee cups again, but coffee vendors such as Starbucks, Dunkin’, and Tim Hortons stop accepting reusable coffee cups to reduce risk of its workers infected by coronavirus. Likewise, I also received messages from friends and family advising me to refrain from having other people fill my reusable items. While many may think using disposable items reduce their risk of contracting COVID-19, I’ve learned this is not necessarily true. This is how I will be pushing my efforts to protect myself, reduce my exposure, and continue my sustainable lifestyle.
Cooking My Meals and Making My Own Drinks at Home
When it comes to grabbing a cup of coffee or ordering takeout, getting items in a disposable container does not make it necessarily safer. As Tom Szaky, CEO of TerraCycle, a company who works toon creating a recycling platform for non-recyclable plastics, says, “no disposable package is today sterile, just to be explicitly clear.” Starbucks makes the case to protect its workers to limit exposure of being handed cups that may come from a person with COVID-19. However, from the vendor end, someone handing you a reusable cup would be the same risk as being handed a disposable cup. However, according to Dr. Donald W. Schaffner, Director of the Food Science Graduate Program Rutgers University, “You’re more likely to get sick from a restaurant patron sneezing on you than from the person handling your food. If someone sneezes on your plate and you touch the wet droplet with your finger, then rub your eye, you might get sick. But if that person touches their face and then your plate, that’s a dry transfer and the probability of contamination is lower.” This shows that whether it is a reusable or disposable plate, the most risk that comes is how the vendor handles the food and they take precautions to not cough or sneeze on the food.
One of my favorite dishes to make, pesto pasta with veggies! Will post recipe later 🙂
The best way I’m reducing any exposure from COVID-19 is by cooking at home with items that I know where they have been and how thoroughly they have been cleaned. Bea Johnson, one of the founders of the zero-waste movement explains, “With disposables, you have no idea who has touched it. With your own reusables, you do!” I meal prepped the other day knowing where my food came from, how clean my dishes were beforehand, and ensured they would be wash with copious amounts of soap and water to ensure my safety. Along with me washing my hands before, during, and after cooking. Vineet Menachery, an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, says, “relatively minor cleaning will actually dissolve or destroy the virus…I wouldn’t expect any virus to survive a dishwasher.” Avoiding take-out reduces your risk of contracting the virus AND leads to greater savings. Research has found that on average, people spend $100 on take-out per month leading to $1,175 a whole year. I also find for me personally it’s a great way to relieve stress. 🙂
Instead of getting my caffeine fix in a disposable cup, I make my own tea at home. By doing so, I 1) reduce using disposables 2) save money and 3) practice social distancing. You can do the same to help reduce your costs while saving the amount of waste that goes into the landfill. Buy tea leaves or coffee grounds from coffee shops or at the store to brew them at home to enjoy in your favorite reusable cup.
Stocked up on Bulk Foods
Before coronavirus was even a threat, I stocked up on some necessities such as rice, flour, oats, lentils, and sugar from my regular bulk shopping. But what about the safety of my food? Fortunately, there should be no sign of COVID-19 within my bulk foods since I did not buy these bulk items recently. If you currently are buying food in bulk, make sure that you wash your hands before and after handling bulked food containers. I would strongly recommend limiting bulk food shopping to items that you will be cooking. Cooking the food at high temperatures can help to kill the virus if in contact with food, as discussed by Dr. Todd Ellerin in a podcast with Harvard Health Publishing. If you plan to eat bulk food items dry, wait a week or so until you try to consume those food products.
Buying Canned Foods and Items in Recyclable Packaging
Many items come in disposable packaging, but I am still simply refraining from buying items that are non-recyclable or non-compostable. Buying canned goods is great for long term storage if you can’t buy them in bulk. I check packages as well to see if I can find options of packaged goods where their packaging is recycled as resources are limited in times like these.
Washing my Reusable Bags and Containers
One of my favorite reusable bags
Again, a disposable bag is not necessarily safer than a reusable bag. If you want to reduce your risk of exposure, simply wash all of your reusable bags in the washer before you head to the grocery store. Once you empty your bag of purchased items, wash your bags again before your next trip to the store.
Many people are stocking up on hand sanitizer, but doctors and the CDC recommend that the best method of disinfecting yourself is to wash your hands for 20 seconds as often as possible. Hand sanitizer should be used for moments when you are on the go, in your car, or out in public with no bathroom to wash your hands. Frequent use of hand sanitizer has led to creating super bugs such as Enterococcus faecium, where certain strains of the bacteria have been able to become resistant to antibiotics and hand sanitizer over the years due to frequent usage of these products. If buying hand sanitizer, make sure it is an alcohol based hand sanitizers of at least 60% alcohol concentration for those moments on the go. However, the best thing to do is wash away those suckers!
Washing Surfaces with My Spray and Reusable Rag
You must be wondering now, what do you mean by “my spray”? Well, I have my handy dandy surface cleaner that I got from Fillaree, which is amazing and disinfects well! Smells great too! There are many places you can buy surface cleaner in bulk, and again it does not need to be “antibacterial” to do the job. Having 60-70% alcohol content or simple soap and water will do the job. When I’m done with my rags, I put them in the dirty laundry to clean, having the washer, laundry detergent, and water get the job done. Also, Menachery mentions that you are unlikely to get COVID-19 from fabrics since, ““if the surfaces absorb, it’s harder to transmit the virus.” But in case, always wash your hands after doing an intense scrub down of your home.
Avoiding Disposables for As Long as Possible to Save Supplies for Those in Need
Many people have been buying gloves, masks, and disposable wipes in fear and wanting to protect themselves from coronavirus, but if you’re healthy, do not show symptoms, and have not been in direct contact with anyone that you know has COVID-19, the supplies is much needed for those who are actually infected or are trying to treat patients. The World Economic Forum explains, “Panic buying masks can reduce supplies for health workers who need them the most. If masks run out for them, the virus could spread much faster…. there won’t be masks available in places where they’re needed most.”
If you want to make sure you are doing your part, refrain from using these items the health care system needs to use to help protect and prevent the spread further. Practicing social distancing in a fun and positive manner, staying home as much as possible, and washing our hands properly often can be the best thing we can do to protect us all from COVID-19.
Here’s a delicious lunch or dinner recipe that you can choose to make as either a vegetarian or a vegan meal! It’s simple and you can choose to either make it for a get-together or meal prep for the week!
Recipe adapted from the NY Times Cooking with some slight adjustments. Makes approximately 4 servings.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil*
1 cup finely chopped onion (1 small onion should suffice)
5 cloves of garlic (if you don’t have any garlic you could substitute with garlic powder*, but not as tasty)
1 pound of your long pasta choice (spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair pasta) *
salt and pepper*
2 tbsp unsalted butter (substitute with any oil such as olive oil or coconut oil if trying to make it vegan)
1 lb fresh baby spinach
1-2 cups of grape/cherry tomatoes depending on your preference
red pepper flakes if you want a little kick (optional)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (substitute with 50% nutritional yeast: 50% Parmesan or completely with nutritional yeast*)
1/2 cup grated Provolone or Gouda (optional or can substitute with vegan cheese)
How to Make it Zero Waste:
All ingredients marked with * can be bought in bulk at stores like Whole Foods, Co-ops, WinCo, etc. Check out my post on buying in bulk to find the link to search for a bulk store near you.
For produce (onion, garlic, spinach, cherry tomatoes) when possible to buy your ingredients locally.
For butter, make sure that you are buying it within the wax paper (clear white) as it can be composted afterward.
For cheese, go to your deli or cheese counter and have them either wrap it in paper or bring your beeswax wrap or container for them to wrap it in.
Tools Needed:
Pot to boil pasta
Large pan or wok to saute in
measuring cups
tablespoon
Pasta fork
Wooden or silicone spoon
large nonstick skillet or wok
Instructions:
Boil salted water and cook your pasta of choice while preparing step two. Make sure to mix the pasta around with your pasta fork so the pasta does not stick together.
Heat oil in your large skillet or wok over medium heat. To make the “sauce,” add the onion and garlic to sautee, stirring occasionally until light gold. Then add in the grape tomatoes to sautee looking for the skin to be slightly wilted. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
When pasta is finished, drain the water and add it into your skillet or wok with the garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Add in the butter, stirring occasionally waiting for butter to melt and for the “sauce” to thicken, which will take about 3-5 minutes.
Add in the spinach, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Keep stirring and cook till the spinach is wilted.
Stir in the Parmesan and/or nutritional yeast and lemon juice.
Taste the dish to see if you would like more salt and pepper. If desired, then add provolone or gouda on top as well.
One great way to budget is to pack your food and bring it to work or school. By packing zero-waste meals instead of having to buy paper bags filled with disposable items and avoiding eating out on lunch breaks, your lunches can cost a lot cheaper. Reusable lunches can be 35% cheaper, and Julia Layton from howstuffworks calculated that by making $4 meals at home versus $10 meals eating out everyday at work could save you $1500 a year! Here’s some easy swaps and where you can find them!
Plastic/Paper Bag -> Reusable Lunch Bag
Although paper bags can technically be recycled, they cannot be if it gets contaminated with food and still consumes resources. Reusable bags can last a long time to get through your child’s education, or the next 30 years at your job. Either way, it saves plenty of waste from going to the landfill.
Anything can become a reusable lunch bag, but insulated lunch bags can help to make sure your food items stay cool for longer. Here’s some ideas on what to use and where to buy them:
Reusable Grocery bag- When you’re not buying groceries, use the same bag to hold your lunch items in.
Insulated lunch bag- These can be bought at various stores including Target, grocery stores, and other markets. Depending on how long you stay out without access to a fridge, you can buy a more insulated one with an ice pack to keep things cool.
Thrift Stores- If you go to thrift stores like Good Will, you may be able to find cool, vintage lunch boxes for a cheap price and rock the antique look while being sustainable.
Online Markets- Some online websites like Poshmark and shopgoodwill.com people sell items they no longer need. You may be able to find cute, fashionable lunch bags at a cheaper price while not having to consume new resources!
Disposable Containers -> Reusable Containers
Disposable containers can add up to a lot of waste and if its homemade, there’s no need for extra waste! Here’s some ideas for reusable containers:
Stainless Steel Container- These are great to make sure your items stay sealed tight, especially for soupy items. These cannot be microwaved, but if you keep a plate at your office, then you can heat items on a separate plate or bowl. These can be bought in all different sizes at Package Free Shop and they carry containers from Clean Kanteen as well.
Plastic- Although plastic is not always the best option, reusable plastic containers for those who may have butter fingers and drop items often, this may be a good option for you then. Many of these you can find at your grocery stores by brands such as Ziploc. These are generally the lightest container, but make sure the container is considered microwave safe as well. If not, the plastic may melt and expose you to toxic chemicals.
Glass- There are multiple brands such as Pyrex and Prep that sell glass reusable containers. However, keep in mind that this type of glass most of the time cannot be recycled. Most of the times these containers have been treated with chemicals so that they can withstand high temperatures, hence they can be placed in the oven or in the microwave without breaking. If you break your glass container, make sure that if it is heat resistant that it goes into the trash and not recycling as it is considered a contaminant.
Ceramic– These may be found at more higher-end cooking stores or even stores such as Urban Outfitters. You can also find these second hand at thrift stores, Poshmark or shopgoodwill.com. Just make sure before you buy they are microwave safe before exposing them to heat.
If you want to make sure you’re getting the best containers, check out this review by Best Products from 2019 to make sure you get your money’s worth out of your products
Many of these again you can find on Poshmark, shopgoodwill.com or any other second hand/buyback websites if you’re trying not to consume more resources.
Ziploc/Sandwich Bags and Plastic Wrap -> ReusableFood Storage Bags
Worldwide, a trillion single-use bags are made each year, meaning 2 million of them are used each minute. Plastic snack/sandwich bags do not need to be adding to that number.
These are light and easy to dispose of, but with the rising issue of single-use plastic bags, an effort needs to be made to reduce single-use baggies as well. There are multiple reusable silicon bag options. Stasher is a popular brand that is sold at Whole Foods and Package Free Shop carries them as well. The Strategist ranked the top four reusable baggies as Rezip, Planet Wise, POAO, and Bee’s Wrap. These can be reused and washed multiple times to keep using them for multiple lunches.
Single-Use Utensils -> Reusable on the Go Utensils
Check out my Sustainable Tip #3 to have a reusable utensil kit at all times to get ideas of where and what kind of utensil kits you can buy!
Plastic Wrapped Sauces -> Mini Reusable Containers
For some salads, dressing is a necessity but plastic wrap isn’t! Sometimes salads cannot keep their crunchiness when it has been soaked for hours in dressing. Buy your favorite dressing as plastic-free as possible and get these small containers to keep your dressing safe and mess-free!
You can either get little plastic containers that seal tight to keep your favorite dressings in. Or you can buy these cute little Dressing-2-Go containers to have a mini bottle of dressing ready to go!
Some containers are made for salads and have salad dressing containers designed within the container.
Disposable Napkins -> Reusable Napkins
Save trees by using a reusable napkin! Some reusable utensil kits come with a napkin so you can always have one on hand with your utensils as well. Package free shop sells unpaper towels as convenient cloth napkins on the go or to use around the house. If you do not want to use up new resources, use an old shirt, cut it into squares, and reuse your shirt with your meal instead of going to the landfill!
Any other ideas on how you create your zero waste lunch? Let me know in the comments!
Ingredients for recipe. All items used were in reusable glass jars or bought in bulk in reused containers (I didn’t put in parmesan cheese, I reused the container to store my white sugar!)
“Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a technology, water, food, energy, population issue. None of this happens in a vacuum.”
Here’s a great, easy recipe for a healthy meal to start the day right! Set aside a few minutes the night before to make your meal and have it ready to grab the next morning. Depending on what milk you use, it is a vegetarian or vegan meal that will keep you full and focused in the morning!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup old fashioned oats*
3/4 or 1 cup of milk (whole, 2%, soy, almond, oat, coconut milk depends on your preference)
1 tbsp of sweetener (white sugar, brown sugar, honey)*
a pinch of cinnamon*
Optional ingredients (all measurements based on personal preference, can do more or less):
A scoop of coconut shavings*
A scoop of chia seeds, nuts, raisins*
A scoop of fruit fruit (banana, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries)
Tools Needed:
bowl with lid or mason jar to store meal in
spoon for stirring
measuring utensils (tbs,
How to make the meal zero waste:
All ingredients marked with * can be bought in bulk at stores like Whole Foods, Co-ops, WinCo, etc. Check out my post on buying in bulk to find the link to search for a bulk store near you.
For milk, many grocery stores have cow milk in glass jars. Once you are done with the milk, return the container to the store and get your deposit fee back.
For fruit, try to buy locally and in bulk at the farmers market when possible. If that’s not an option, buy the fruit in the least amount of packaging or in a recyclable plastic container as a last resort. Any leftover fruit can be frozen for another time so the food does not go to waste.
Chose to add in brown sugar and coconut shavings as my toppings
Instructions:
The night before, pour oats into bowl or mason jar.
Add your choice of sweetener, cinnamon, and any additional toppings you would like to add. If you do not want your additional toppings to get soaked, you can add them in the morning.
Pour in the milk. If you do not want your meal to have as much of a soupy texture, then add less milk (3/4 cup) but if not, then add one cup
Stir the ingredients altogether and let it sit overnight
In the morning, the oats will have a thicker texture. Add any other additional toppings you would like (personally I like having a banana on the side with mine)
You can choose to either eat them cold or heat them in the microwave for a minute. Enjoy!
This is a quick, easy, and tasty snack that is convenient for taking on the go and can be filling and energizing with one energy ball!
Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup of honey or agave nectar to keep it vegan
1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of flax seed
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of chocolate chips (semisweet, dark, or vegan chocolate depending on your preference)*
1/2 cup of coconut flakes*
1 tablespoon of chia seeds*
1/3 cups of crushed nuts*
*These are all optional ingredients and you can choose how much more or less you would like of these ingredients. The more ingredients you may need to add a little more peanut butter or honey/agave nectar to keep the balls to stick together.
You can find most of these ingredients in bulk at bulk stores, Whole Foods, or your local co-op! It can sometimes be difficult to find flax seeds or chia seeds in bulk so I found to substitute them for other ingredients or not include them in the batch I make.
Cooking Tools:
Small bowl of water (for prepping use not to mix in)
Large bowl for mixing
Big spoon or spatula for mixing
Large plate or tray
Directions:
Put all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Mix ingredients together by either using the large spoon/spatula or your hands.
Take the small bowl of water and slightly dampen hands while grabbing a scoopful of the mix. This is about the size of two tablespoons but you can make size based on preference.
Place the made balls onto a tray or large plate and dampen hands as needed when mix sticks too much on hands.
When all the energy balls have been made, place into the freezer for at least one hour.
After one hour, they can be enjoyed or be kept in the freezer or fridge until they are ready to be consumed. Avoid keeping them in hot areas as they will melt.
You can make 15-24 balls depending on the size of the balls and how many of the optional ingredients you include
Like the recipe? Share it with your friends or comment what you enjoyed about the recipe!
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