Why You Should Soak Your Nuts (seeds, legumes and grains) + Raw Walnut Date Energy Balls with Coconut Goji Dust Recipe
Why soak your nuts, seeds, and grains? While this may not always be possible, when you do have the time, soaking and sprouting can have some great health benefits:
1. Soaking grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes reduces phytic acid, which is the principal storage form of phosphorus in many plant tissues. Phytic acid can combine with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. Consuming high amounts of phytic acid can eventually lead to mineral deficiencies and bone loss.
2. Soaking and sprouting can neutralize enzyme inhibitors found in nuts, grains and seeds. Phytic acid can inhibit enzymes that we need to digest our food, including pepsin, needed for the breakdown of proteins in the stomach, and amylase, needed for the breakdown of starch into sugar. Trypsin, needed for protein digestion in the small intestine, is also inhibited by phytates.
3. Soaking and sprouting increases the vitamin and mineral content of food. As sprouting releases vitamins, it makes grains, legumes and nuts/seeds more easily digestible. Sprouting encourages the production of beneficial enzymes, helps to break down of gluten, and makes proteins more readily available for absorption.
Most nuts, seeds, legumes and grains should be soaked between 4-8 hours, then rinsed and used or sprouted within a day or two. Soaked almonds can be kept in the fridge, in clean filtered water for up to 3 days for easy snacking! Using 3:1 ratio of water to nuts, seeds, legumes and grains generally works out well.
These tasty little balls are made with soaked walnuts and pumpkin seeds and are loaded with omega 3's, which help to speed up metabolism and brighten your mood, fibre to help you release toxins and balance your blood sugar, and are an excellent source of minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron. Perfect for a healthy snack or dessert!
Walnut Date Energy Balls with Coconut Goji Dust
These are perhaps the best balls I have made so far:) If you don’t have coconut butter (which is not the same as coconut oil) you can substitute the same amount of almond butter. If you don’t have goji berries, substitute more coconut flakes. Super easy to make in about 10 minutes.
1 cup walnuts
1 cup medjool dates (about 8)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 Tbsp coconut butter
1 Tbsp raw cacao
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla powder
Pinch sea salt
Garnish:
2.5 Tbsp unsulfured unsweetened coconut flakes
2.5 Tbsp goji berries (optional)
How to make:
If you have a little hand blender, use it to grind the goji berries. If not, use your food processor.
Soak walnuts, dates and pumpkin seeds for 4-6 hours. Drain and rinse. Remove date pits.
Combine all ingredients, except goji berries and coconut flakes, in the food processor and process until you have a smooth texture. It’s ok if it’s not perfectly smooth. You may have to stop the machine and scrape the sides with a spatula a couple of times.
Spread coconut and goji berry mixture on a plate. Taking about a tablespoon of batter at a time, roll little balls between your palms. Then roll in coconut flakes.
Makes 13-14 balls, depending on the size. Keep in the fridge or freezer.
Enjoy!
