Hello friends!
How is everyone doing?! Counting down to the holidays like me? This season tends to be extra crazy at work what with prepping content ahead of time to accommodate everyone’s vacation schedules (I work in social media marketing), so a vacation will be much needed when we finally get to it! I’m not gonna lie though, I always love the weeks leading up to Christmas (and Hanukkah!) because they’re so fun and festive. We went to our first holiday party last weekend and have another this weekend and I don’t think anything beats mulled wine and Christmas cookies.
That being said, I am trying to make sure I’m taking care of my health before things really ramp up, much like I was before Thanksgiving, because I tend to crave only sweets around this time and unfortunately that just ain’t gonna cut it, sister. I’ve been adding extra greens to my smoothies, extra veggies to my lunch, and trying to get my sweat on in some capacity every single day. Since we all know I’m a big snacker, especially when I need to fuel myself through a workout, ideally I like to combine my sweet tooth with my commitment to my health. And can I tell you? It’s actually reallyyyyy easy to make super delicious “treats” that are full of nourishing ingredients. Just ask my boyfriend – I told him these brownie bites were healthy and his mind was blown. He literally said, “but they don’t taste healthy.” MISSION. ACCOMPLISHED.
I know “healthy” is a relative term, but if chia seeds, rolled oats and nut butter aren’t good for you, I’m not sure what is. These are gluten-free (as long as your oats are) and packed with an insane amount of protein. They also take about 6 minutes from start to finish which is kind of outrageous. My absolute favorite part of them, though? The collagen.
I’ve started incorporating Further Food collagen into my diet (as I mentioned in my November favorites!) and this stuff continues to blow my mind. Dairy free, gluten free, non-GMO, sugar free and organic, collagen helps improve gut health, bone strength, and hair/skin/nails. Apparently in our 20’s we start producing less collagen than before, which can lend itself to saggy, wrinkly skin, weak bones, and achey joints. Nooooo thank you. By adding collagen into our diets through supplementation, we can help prevent and reverse this process. AND! And. It has protein, which helps keep you full and can prevent overeating. Yes. Please.
I’ve been loving Further Food because it has absolutely no taste and dissolves completely. This means I can put it in my coffee, smoothie, oatmeal, yogurt, hot cocoa, fancy golden milk latté, or even WATER without even noticing. Now that’s something you definitely cannot do with protein powder. If you want to try this stuff, and I promise you won’t be disappointed, you can use my code DANCINGFORDONUTS for 10% off! If you don’t, which is totally cool, I would just swap at the collagen in the recipe below for another tbsp of the chocolate protein powder. You won’t get all the awesome extra benefits, though?
Anywayssssss, these little babies are basically winter goodness in a ball, and they are perfect for when you’re craving something slightly sweet! They’re kind of like how dark chocolate is – a bit sweet but not too much so. If you like things on the sweeter side, I might add a touch more honey. Up to you, though!
Peppermint Brownie Protein Bites
(makes ~12)
1/2 cup oat flour (just pulse oats in a food processor!)
2 tbsp chocolate protein powder (Garden Of Life
1 serving collagen
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp almond milk
1/8 tsp peppermint extract
1 tbsp ground chia seeds
1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until wet are completely mixed with dry. Use your fingers if you’ve got to, and if it feels too dry after about 30 seconds of mixing, add a touch more almond milk. You shouldn’t need any, though 🙂
2. Shape into 1 inch balls and let harden in the fridge for at least one hour (or freeze ’em for 30 minutes!). Will keep in the fridge for up to one week in an airtight container.
That’s all for today, beauties. Hope you’re having a great week!!
xo Jordan