Well, here I am, 1 week away from my official due date. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone and I sure can’t say I am prepared for baby to be here, but apparently nothing can really prepare you fully for being a parent – or so I’ve heard.
I’m just taking it one day at a time right now, enjoying every last little moment of having this sweet one in my belly and trying to get as much rest and relaxation in as possible. During the past month I’ve been doing what I can to make the transition go smoothly. We hired a postpartum doula who will be helping me out a couple days a week once Justin goes back to work, I’ve got easy go-to meals in the freezer for those days we do not want to cook, packed the hospital bag, and I’ve got lots of goodies to snack on once I’m in the thick of it!
I’m sure that once the little nugget has arrived I’ll be a bit out of sorts or off my normal schedule so I know that having healthy little pop-in-my-mouth snacks available will be key to keeping me nourished and energized during this transition time. These Fig & Almond Energy Balls make the perfect snack and happen to be one of my favourite recipes in my Energy Balls cookbook.
Figs are rich in dietary fibre and provide a nice little dose of minerals and vitamins. They also happen to be a good source of iron which is something I’ve struggled with throughout this pregnancy and likely will need to be paying attention to in the healing period post-labour.
Along with figs these tasty energy balls have almonds, a nice source of plant protein and healthy fats, and are coated in oat bran which brings in more fibre, brain-boosting B vitamins, and contains galactagogues, compounds that have been though to stimulate lactation and help boost milk production for breast-feeding (not much research has been done in this area but many moms do swear by these foods!).
The mix of fresh and dried figs in these balls makes them nice and moist and gives them great texture. If you’ve ever eaten a Fig Newton bar you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how similar these energy balls taste to traditional Fig Newtons.
I discovered that one of the crucial ingredients in Fig Newton bars that gives them their token taste is orange. Naturally, I added orange to these energy balls to give them that familiar flavour. I’ve always been a huge fan of fresh figs, dried figs, fig jam, and well just anything with figgy-goodness and I know these energy balls will likely be gobbled up quickly in that post-natal period by both myself and my hubby.
If you haven’t had a chance to get a copy of my cookbook Energy Balls, it is available online and in stores. Locally in Edmonton you can find the book at Chapters and Indigo (just be sure to check in advance to make sure it is in stock), and online it is available on Amazon and Amazon Canada, Barnes and Noble, Indigo, and other smaller retailers!
Over the past few months I’ve been working hard to get the blog prepped with a bunch of yummy recipes so that I can take a small “maternity leave” (something that’s a little different than the usual maternity leave, as I am a self-employed entrepreneur) so I hope you enjoy all the Spring and Summer recipes coming your way in the next few months… salads, sweets, breakfasts, sorbets, popsicles, and more! I also hope to post a few updates once the little babe has arrived as I’d love to introduce you to her. Be sure to stay tuned to my social media channels (Instagram & Facebook especially) as I’ll no doubt be flooding my feeds with little baby toes, outfits, giggles, and cuteness.
Oh and if you would like to watch, in March I filmed a segment with CTV Alberta Primetime talking all about pregnancy nutrition and of course, Energy Balls, so just click the link below to see it!
- Fig Balls
- 4 fresh figs (about 200g)
- 1 cup dried black mission figs
- ½ cup dried turkish figs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon pure orange juice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup raw almonds
- Ball Coating:
- 1½ tablespoon almond flour
- 1½ tablespoon oat bran
- 1½ tablespoon coconut palm sugar
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- Add the fresh figs, dried figs, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and almonds to a food processor and blend on low for 15 seconds, scrape the sides with a spatula and process for 10 seconds, then scrape the sides, another 10 seconds, and repeat until the batter is sticky and well combined (you may need to scrape the sides about 4 times).
- Using a spatula, remove the batter and transfer to a bowl and place in the freezer to set while making the ball coating.
- In a medium sized bowl, add the ball coating ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Remove the ball batter from the freezer and using clean, slightly wet hands, take just smaller than golf-ball sized portions of the batter and roll into a ball shape using your palms.
- Then, roll each ball in the ball coating to coat lightly. Place the finished ball on a large plate.
- Repeat the process to make 14 balls total.
- Place the balls in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
What a great recipe!! I’ve never used figs in my energy bites before (usually dates). Can’t wait to make these!!! Gorgeous photos BTW!
Thanks Deborah! Yes, the figs definitely create a different texture and taste – they are a pleasant surprise!
You have one of the best healthy websites out there. My wife and I are always looking for what NITK will do next.
So creative and so healthy. Thank you.
Aw, thank you so much! 🙂