The netball representative carnivals are high intensity. They involve 7-8 half games in one day, preparing the girls for the big finale that is the 3-day State Netball Championships!

The players aren’t really that hungry throughout the day, which is natural as they’re keeping their energy for playing, not digesting, but they still need to eat and drink to help prevent fatigue, keep them focused and keep their energy steady.

In our Under 13’s age group, at the coaches request (yay!), all the parents pitch in to make sure there is an array of healthy snacks and food for the girls to eat between games.

Small protein and carb snacks are ideal which was how these Cookie Dough Energy Balls were born. As well as the fact my daughter’s main motivation to bake weekly is the allure of eating the leftover batter in the bowl at the end!

The combination of ingredients provide the perfect boost for the girls, all wrapped up in delicious, easy-to- eat little bites.

I have made a few batches of this since I created the recipe a couple of weeks ago and I can’t keep my kids hands off them (or mine!).

While most of us won’t be able to pack these in our school lunchboxes due to the nuts, my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes recipe ebook is filled with nut free sweet and savoury recipes, like Apricot, Orange and Coconut Bliss Balls and Chocolate Tahini Oat Bites …

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Rolled oats
Desiccated coconut
White chia seeds
Almond meal
Peanut butter
Raw honey
Milk
Sea salt
Vanilla extract
Dark chocolate chips

Print

Cookie Dough Energy Balls

Prep Time 15 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1 cups rolled oats or you can just use oat flour
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon white chia seeds optional
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 tablespoon milk I used almond milk
• pinch sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup mini dark-chocolate chips

Instructions

• In a food processor, grind oats, coconut and chia seeds (if using), until finely ground.
• Add peanut butter, honey, almond meal, salt, vanilla, butter and milk. Process again until it's all mixed together well.
• Stir through choc chips
• Roll tablespoons of the dough into balls, if rolling proves difficult, press into balls using the palm of your hand.
• Store in refrigerator. Can be frozen.

Notes

Time Saving Tip: Alternatively you can line a shallow square or rectangular baking tin with baking paper and press the dough into the tin, pop in freezer to set, then cut into bars.

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, take a look at my new recipe ebook which is getting rave reviews, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

If you make this recipe please do take photos and send them to me.

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life.

Other similar recipes you might like are Raw Cacao Balls  and Chocolate Orange Truffles

Bren x

Don’t get me wrong.

I love nothing more than a good old cooking and baking session in the kitchen when time is on my side.

But let’s face it, those times can be few and far between for us working mummas.

Which means I’m always on the lookout for short cuts in the kitchen.

When you can throw a handful of ingredients into a bowl, mix it around, roll it into balls, and stick it in the fridge, life starts to feel easier.

The inspo for these delicious balls of goodness came because my gal oh so does love ‘licking the bowl’.

Always proclaiming how much more she loves my Anzac Biscuits, before they go into the oven.

So why don’t I knock out an entire cooking step I thought, and do the raw thang using a few of our favourite ingredients?

And the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Ball was born and they make a perfect little after-school energy snack or mama afternoon snack and when you’re in the heat of summer and it’s too hot to turn the oven on!

Print

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 15

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup raw honey add a little more if needed
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
• 1/4 cup dark choc chips or chopped 70% dark chocolate
• pinch sea salt

Instructions

• Throw all the ingredients into a food processor, except the choc-chips, and blend up to your desired consistency. We like ours not too smooth, just with a bit of texture left.
• If consistency is too dry to roll, add more melted coconut oil
• Once blended, add dark chocolate chips and fold through
• Pop a tablespoon of the mixture into the palm of your hand and roll into a ball
• Once you have rolled all the mixture store the balls in the fridge

Notes

This recipes should make 10-15 balls depending on size.

There are more wholefood snack recipes in my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes ebook.

If you make my recipes please take photos and send them to me, or if you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. I get a total kick out of seeing you make my recipes.

Here are a couple other No Bake recipe ideas you might like – Raw Cacao Balls and these Protein Balls for Busy Women.

Bren x

These truffles are healthy, full of nutrition and oh so good!

If you’re facing a slump in your day, the citrusy orange provides a nice little zesty, zingy uplift to carry you through.

These truffles have been so handy to just grab out of the freezer when we need a little pick me up, and my son has loved having them in his school lunch box too and they make a great nutrient-dense, filling healthy snack for kids.

Enjoy this Vitamin C-packed party in a bliss ball! We’ve always got a batch of bliss balls stashed away in the fridge or freezer like these nut and date-free Raw Cacao Balls,  the Apricot, Orange, and Coconut Bliss balls from my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes ebook, and these Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss Balls.

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh, and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Cacao Powder
Walnuts
Pepitas
Chia Seeds
Medjool Dates
Desiccated Coconut
Cinnamon Powder
Salt 
Maple Syrup 

Print

Chocolate Orange Truffles

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 2 cups desiccated coconut
• 6 medjool dates seeds removed
• 6 prunes seeds removed (provides a fudge-ier consistency and has less sugar than dates)
• 1/2 cup walnuts you can leave these out to make lunch box friendly
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 tablespoon pepitas
• zest of 1 medium orange
• juice of half an orange
• 2 - 3 tablespoons cacao
• 1/2 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• pinch sea salt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional

Instructions

• Place the ingredients into your processor and blend at high speed until the mixture is all blended and comes together. Roll the mixture into balls, roll through desiccated coconut and place in the freezer to set

If you make this recipe please do take photos and send them to me.

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life. 

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, take a look at my new recipe ebook, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

Bren x

Usually on the weekend, if time permits, the kids and I will get busy in the kitchen making food for the lunchbox.

I always like to pop in something fun into their lunchbox each day. We don’t ‘do’ dessert at home, so once a day at recess my kids look forward to their healthy treat.

They are almost always made from scratch ( I have a stash of our fave packaged options for those insane days), from the best ingredients I can afford, and as nutrient dense as I can make them.

For more lunchbox inspiration check out my Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes eBook filled with 40 of my children’s favourite nut-free and refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes. All kid-tested and kid-approved!

Here are some of their fave lunchbox treats.

Rich and delicious chocolate muffins (with vegetables) by Brenda Janschek

Sweet potato and choc chip muffins by Mummy Made it – gluten free

Beetroot, quinoa and chocolate muffins by The Holistic Ingredient

Sweet potato brownie by Slim Birdy – gluten free

Chocolate Orange Truffles by Brenda Janschek (if nuts are allowed)

Leftover porridge cakes by Lisa Corduff

Date, oat and seed bars by Brenda Janschek

Nut-free chocolate and coconut no bake bars by BecomingNess

Coconut slice by Homemade, Healthy, Happy

Chai, date and sesame biscuits by Brenda Janschek

Vanilla Apple Chia Pudding by Brenda Janschek

Cinnamon, turmeric custard by Low Tox Life

Banana Pancakes by Brenda Janschek Health & Lifestyle

Pancakes 3 ways by Quirky Cooking

Super smoothie by Brenda Janschek

Brownie Cake by Brenda Janschek

Raw Cacao Balls by Brenda Janschek (nut free)

Find the best 10 Savoury School Lunchbox Ideas here

For more lunchbox inspo, grab my new Easy Wholefood Lunchbox recipe eBook with 20 savoury and 20 sweet recipes filled with simple wholesome ingredients to meet your kids nutritional needs and fuel their learning and play, giving them the brainpower and energy they need to get through the day.

How do we busy women nourish ourselves when we don’t have 5 minutes from sunrise to sunset?

How do we find the energy to focus on ourselves and understand the true importance of this?

Well, I’m here to tell you it is possible.

Now, I’m not talking about making time for oil pulling, or 1-hour yoga sessions three times a week  (it’s great if you do, but this mama doesn’t have time for that!).

I’m talking about more realistic stuff, such as:

• creating a nourishing kitchen so there’s always healthy, delicious food on hand
• committing to even 5 minutes of quiet time to breathe or lie down with your legs raised
• eating lunch mindfully with your feet on the grass instead of under a computer
• exercising more efficiently whilst still losing weight
• creating time to visit a naturopath to check your overall health
• take a preventative approach to your health and add lots of medicinal herbs and spices to your meals or supplement with natural medicine like Turmeric Curcumin.
• running your household more efficiently so there is more time for fun stuff

If you find yourself stuck in a rut with your health that and you’re done thinking about doing something about and it’s time for you to take action, take a look at my series, 6 Simple Steps To Reset Your Hormones and Shed Stubborn Weight. 

Another simple way you can nourish yourself today is by making a batch of these divine Protein Ball Recipes below, two recipes that we created for the busy women on the program, that have been much loved by the whole family.

Eaten mindfully, these make a great accompaniment to a breakfast smoothie if hunger pains ensue, or perfect to throw in the handbag for a before and/or after workout snack.

They make a nutrient-dense and delicious alternative to the vending machine at the 3pm crash (at least until we get those blood sugars stabilised) and they make a perfect after-school snack for the kids if you are willing to share!

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is of amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh, and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Cashews
Goji berries or prunes
Tahini
Pumpkin seeds
Coconut oil

Print

Zesty Lemon Protein Ball

Ingredients

• 150 g cashews
• 50 g Goji berries or prunes
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 heaped tablespoon tahini
• Half a cup of pumpkin seeds
• 10 gms coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon Great Lakes collagen protein optional

Instructions

• In a blender, blend lemon juice, zest, and coconut oil into a smooth cream.
• Add tahini, cashew, goji berries and pumpkin seeds and blend until mixture forms together.
• Shape into little balls and roll in coconut flour.
• If mixture is too wet add in some desiccated coconut or coconut flour.
• Store in the fridge or freezer.

Print

Dark Chocolate Protein Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cacoa powder
• Half a teaspoon of vanilla powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 50 g goji berries soaked for 10 mins to rehydrate and add moisture
• 180 g pecans soaked for 10 mins to rehydrate and add moisture
• 20 g coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• 1/2 cup filtered water if needed

Instructions

• In a blender, blend raw honey, coconut oil and cacao powder to from a creamy consistency (would make amazing icing!).
• Add pecans, goji berries, cinnamon and vanilla and blend until nice and smooth.
• If needed, add half a cup of water to help soften mix (add slowly until you reach a consistency you like)
• Form into little balls and roll in a mix of cacoa powder and cinnamon. You could also a little chilli powder for that extra kick!

TAKE A LOOK AT 6 SIMPLE STEPS TO RESET YOUR HORMONES AND SHED STUBBORN WEIGHT AND GET READY FOR SPRING AND SUMMER!

It was great to see so many people eager to get inspiration to move away from nutrient-depleted boxed cereal, and onto much healthier wholefood options.

As a treat, I thought I would develop a bliss ball recipe especially for the participants, and to show them how stuck we tend to get, into boxing our meals into the morning, noon, and night time slots.

A big bliss ball (or two) isn’t just a snack or healthy treat. Because it is much more nutrient-dense than say, Weet Bix, it can be eaten for breaky along with a green smoothie or big glass of milk. There’s really no need to time-of-day define it.

The cacao powder in the bliss ball acts as a powerful antioxidant and immune-booster in its raw state.

The nuts and seeds offer a great source of fat and protein (chia seeds are very high in Omega 3s), and the dates provide a natural source of sweetness and an easily digestible source of fiber.

Coconut oil is great for boosting the metabolism and helping us feel satiated, as well as being anti-viral, anti-fungal. What a great immune booster!

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is of amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh, and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

180 Nutrition Chocolate Protein Powder
Medjool Dates
Cacao Powder
Cinnamon Powder
Chia Seeds
Almonds
Nut Butter
Desiccated Coconut
Coconut Oil
LSA

Print

Brenda's Breaky Ball

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 10

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup 180 Nutrition Chocolate Protein Powder optional
• 8 Medjool dates
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon ABC nut butter
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut extra for rolling
• 3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon LSA optional
• 1 cup raw almonds

Instructions

• Pop almonds into food processor or Thermomix and grind to a meal.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and process for approx 1 minute
• Roll into large balls in your hands, then roll in some desiccated coconut.
• Store in a container and pop in the fridge to set.
• Best left in fridge or freezer.

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, take a look at my new recipe ebook which is getting rave reviews, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar-free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

If you make this recipe and share on instagram remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise, feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook.

Some other delicious breakfast recipes you might like are Brenda’s Big Batch Bircher Muesli and Anti-Oxidant Smoothie.

When my attempt at creating a new recipe went wrong, I decided to tweak a couple of things and whizz all the ingredients together and turn them into this version of bliss balls.

And to my surprise my whole family love them just as much as these No Bake Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Balls and the Choc Strawberry Bites from my Real Food For Hungry Teens ebook 

And happily, they are sugar-free, gluten-free.

Many of the ingredients in this recipe can be sourced from my one-stop-favourite, organic wholefoods online store, The Wholefood Collective. They go to great lengths to ensure everything they source is amazing quality, they stock all my favorite products and I don’t even have to leave the house! Oh and the cherry on the cake is they donate profits to improve food security for vulnerable Aussies.

Here are some of the ingredients you’ll need:

Medjool Dates
Dried Apple 
Cacao Powder
Cinnamon Powder
Chia Seeds
Almonds
Desiccated Coconut
Coconut Oil

If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, take a look at my new recipe ebook which is getting rave reviews, Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes.

It’s packed with 40 delicious nut-free, refined sugar free sweet and savoury recipes which have all been kid-tested and approved!

Print

5 minute Apple Cinnamon Bliss Balls

Prep Time 5 minutes

Author Brenda Janschek

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted
• 3/4 cup raw almonds
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1.5 cup dried apple
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

• Place dates, almonds, chia seeds, dried apples,coconut oil, cinnamon in a food processor and combine until everything is well blended
• Place a tablespoon full of the mixture into your handsand roll into balls
• Roll balls in desiccated coconut and place in fridge to set

Notes

Use your favourite nut in this recipe and get creative with spices and flavours

Roast the nuts first to achieve a deeper flavour

If you make this recipe please do take photos and send them to me.

If you share them on instagram, remember to tag me @brendajanschek. Otherwise feel free to pm me your photos via Facebook. I get a total kick out of seeing you bring my recipes to life. 

And remember, if you haven’t already, grab your copy of Easy Wholefood Lunchboxes here.

Other similar recipes you might like are Chocolate Orange Truffles and Brenda’s Breaky Balls. 

Bren x