When we are stressed we often reach for a sugary snack to give us that comforting boost when we feel low and which feeds our reward sensors in the brain. Unfortunately that feeling is short lived and before we know it, we’re grabbing for another ‘hit’ of sugar.
However it is much healthier to choose a nutrient dense snack that will give us a boost of stress-busting nutrients. Nuts & seeds are packed full of nutrients that support a healthy stress response including magnesium, healthy fats and omegas 3 & 6, B vitamins and protein, they are a useful snack and a much healthier choice than sweets, cakes, biscuits and other refined carbohydrates.
Try this easy, no-cook recipe for a snack when you need that little something to keep you going:
Nutty bars recipe
Ingredients
- 100g almonds
- 100g walnut or pecans
- 100g macadamia nuts
- 100g pumpkin seeds
- 100g shredded coconut
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 125g smooth almond or peanut butter (or crunchy if you prefer)
- 60ml cold pressed coconut oil (ie solid coconut oil (fat) from a jar)
Method
- Grease a 20 x 20cm square baking tin and line with baking paper.
- Place the nuts and seeds in a food processor and pulse chop until coarsely ground
- Transfer to a bowl and stir through the shredded coconut and cinnamon.
- Combine the nut butter, coconut fat and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan and heat gently until the mixture is melted together. Take care doing this as the mix can bubble up.
- Pour the nut butter mix into the dry ingredients and mix well. Press firmly into the lined tin and smooth the surface.
- Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours until firm and then cut into approx. 16 bars
Optional: you could add 2 x tablespoons of raw cacao nibs and/or a tablespoon of chopped sour cherries to the dry mixture
You can choose whatever nuts/seeds you like best. The more you grind the dry mix the less crunchy/crumbly it will be. You can play around with it and decide what consistency you like best.
NB: NOT suitable for those with nut allergies
