Healthy After-Class Car Snack!

Now I know you always follow the rule about not eating 90 minutes before class, don't you? At least I hope you do! Last week I made the mistake of delaying my breakfast until 11am for a 12 o'clock class. Trust me, eggs and bacon (even without the toast) going jumpy jumpy in your belly is not so fun. And there's nothing more frustrating than not being able to do a pose you have finally started to feel that you've mastered - like camel - because you don't want the person behind you to get a technicolour image of your last meal. I'm sure I don't have to tell you I am back to heeding my own advice about keeping pre-yoga food either further away from class, or much lighter in content!

But there is a catch of course, isn't there? Whilst the last thing you feel like doing right after class is eating, the hunger can really start to hit with a vengeance about half an hour later. And if you have a little way to drive, or perhaps some errands to run, you can be left with a dizzy head or - and I'm not sure which is worse - giving in to the temptations of a nearby 7-Eleven.

Solution? Keep healthy and simple snacks in your car. Nuts or fruit are great, but if you have a spare half hour this weekend why not make something more interesting to keep in your car for Bikram days?

Healthy 'Superfood' Chocolate-Nut Balls

• 1-2 cups of leftover nut meal (leftover from making your own nut milk, but you can use almond or other nut meal as a store-bought substitute
• 1/2 cup dried berries of your choice (goji or cranberries are the most ’super’ choice). Try drying your own berries in a low-moderate oven with the door cracked – blanch in hot water for 5 minutes first and then dunk in ice cold water to preserve the color. It will take 4-12 hours to dry fruit in the oven, and the berries should be pliable when done.
• A couple tablespoons raw organic tahini
• Natural sweetener such as raw honey or agave syrup – to taste
• A couple tablespoons cacao powder for some truly super chocolate-y goodness
  

Mix it all together with clean hands – the end result should be slightly sticky. If it’s too wet just add some more cacao or some shredded coconut, and if it’s too dry simply add some more tahini and sweetener. To finish, roll small balls in a mix of cacao powder and coconut. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy one or two as the perfect mid-afternoon energy boost – one that satisfied the sweet tooth and is truly healthy!

This recipe gives you just a starting point to introducing superfoods into your diet. If you’d like to take a bigger step forward in this area, check out my tasty choc-blueberry superfood smoothie, and stay tuned for more info and recipes!

Not just Food for Yoga - Food for Life!

Kat

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