Chocolatey, fudgy and sweet – these healthy Chocolate Hemp Protein Balls will satisfy your chocolate craving and provide omega 3 and 6 fats and protein. You need 15 minutes, a food processor, and 5 ingredients to make this healthy treat.
A great mid-morning or afternoon snack and even great at bedtime because hemp is a natural relaxant.
I’ve been searching for a healthy treat that satisfies my cravings without being a “cheat” treat. I recently did the Whole30 and didn’t want to jump right into sugar, but was craving something chocolatey and sweet. The answer was these chocolatey-rich hemp protein balls.
The Perfect Anti-Inflammatory Treat
I created these treats to satisfy my sweet tooth and sneak more protein sources and superfoods into my diet. Hemp seeds are the perfect superfood solution to include in this chocolatey snack. I’m definitely obsessed with hemp seeds at the moment – let’s chat about the health benefits first.
What are Hemp Seeds?
Hemp seeds are from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Hemp is from the same plant as cannabis (marijuana) but a different species. Hemp seeds have no mood-altering effects because hemp contains 0.3% – 1.5% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive compound in marijuana. On the other hand, cannabis marijuana contains about 5% –10% or more THC. This means you’re going to get all the benefits of hemp without the high (or mood-altering effect).
Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds Backed by Science
Health Benefit #1: Rich in Essential Fatty Acids
These little guys are technically a nut which makes sense since they taste that way! Hemp seeds are the perfect combination of the essential fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6). They also contain gamma-linolenic acid.
Omega-3 fats are the clear winner here because they help reduce inflammation, which reduces your risk of many diseases including cancer, heart disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and much more. They also support healthy hair and skin.
The important thing to know about Omega-6 fats is they are commonly found in our diet because of the high concentrations in “fast food”. You also need to know the recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is 4:1 or less. In our Western diet, the ratio is typically between 10:1 and 50:1. Yikes.
Hemp Seeds and oil are the optimal 1:4 ratio of omega-3 to 6 for your body.
Health Benefit #2: Great Protein Source
More than 25% of hemp seed’s total calories come from high-quality protein. That’s quite a bit more than chia seeds and flaxseeds, whose calories are 16–18% protein.
According to CalorieCount, 3 T of hemp seeds contains 10 grams of protein. Although hemp is not a complete protein, when you combine it with other complementary proteins, including nuts, lentils, and dried beans, it can get you to all nine essential amino acids.
The Perfect Protein-Rich Snack
The other reason I love this snack is I sneak in some egg white protein powder into my recipe. These are the perfect snack for someone who has a somewhat plant-based diet. I was vegan for 9 months then gradually added back wild-caught fish, eggs, and raw dairy. I don’t think there is a label for this as in Lacto-ovo pescatarian, but then I was never into labels anyways!
Is There a Perfect Diet?
Is there a diet is right for everyone? I tend to think there isn’t, I mean we’re all different in our body type, our stress levels, and athletic performance and our bodies change throughout our lives as do our nutrition needs.
Because I’m more of a mesomorph body type and have lower body fat, I tend to feel and perform better with a lower carb, higher protein, and fat diet, while my daughter who is definitely more of an ectomorph can eat pasta all day long!
A Few Thoughts on Diets
I was on a diet for basically over a decade because I competed in fitness for over 10 years. This is really no way for anyone to live. Ha! But, sigh, I did love learning how to change your nutrition to change your results and that nutrition affects your body even more than training.
I also learned I won’t have the same outcome as a fellow fitness competitor following the exact diet because we’re different people with different body types. When I learned to listen to my own body and what I needed to perform my best, that’s when I finally won a competition and my pro card. Then I retired from competing and now do my new love – Yoga. No more dieting, just a healthy lifestyle.
Chocolate Hemp Protein Balls - Vegan and Whole30
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Ingredients
- 13 oz dates (deglet or medjool)
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 3-4 T hemp seeds
- 3 T egg white protein powder
- 3 T cacao powder
Instructions
Put the dates in a glass or ceramic bowl and set aside. Boil 1 1/2 cups water and pour boiling or very hot water over the dates. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to soften (this makes them more “fudgy” tasting). Drain the dates in a collander.
Put almonds in the food processer and pulse a few times. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined into a sticky dough. The less you pulse the “chunkier” the dough will be.
Dump dough onto a large plate and roll into balls.
Enjoy!
These are great stored in the freezer.
