Apple Pie Energy Balls

When you're in the mood for a healthy treat, Larabars are a go-to for many people - they're one of the few snacks that are gluten free, vegan, paleo, raw and actually taste good.  Apple Pie was always my favourite flavour of Larabar, when I used to buy them, but unless they're on sale, I rarely buy these anymore.  Firstly, because it's really easy to make your own, and secondly, because their parent company opposes GMO labelling. There are dozens of Larabar copy-cat recipes out there on the web, and so many different ways of achieving a common goal!   I've seen recipes made with apple sauce, apple chips, apple rings, and actual apples - but this is my way of making Larabar copy-cats.  These are great little snacks for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, or even for an on-the-go breakfast.

Recipe notes:  My brand of apple chips was simply Fuji apples and cinnamon.  Try to find apple chips with as few ingredients as possible, or dehydrate your own apples.  If your chips don't have cinnamon, add about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the mix.

As far as dates go, I've used all different types of dates with success.  Medjool, Algerian, Deglet... they're all good!  There are subtle differences in flavour, so if you prefer one over another, use whatever you like.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 cup dates, pitted
• 1 cup apple chips
• unsweetened coconut flakes
• optional: cinnamon, splash of vanilla

Method:

1. Add dates to food processor or magic bullet and pulse until they're finely chopped.  Add the nuts and apple chips to the food processor.  Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped and the mixture holds together when you mould it in your hand.  (Don't allow the nuts to form into a paste/nut butter).  You should still be able to distinguish small pieces of nuts and dates in the mixture.

2. Prepare a dish with some coconut flakes (about a half cup)

3. Form the mixture into small, 1-1/2 inch balls.  Roll the balls in the coconut flakes.

These should be okay to keep covered on the counter for a few days, but any longer than that, you should store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

Yield: approx 15 balls

Sugar Alternatives for the Health Conscious

As I venture through my thirties, I find myself becoming more aware of the products I put into my body. Last week, the World Health Organization advised that sugar should make up just 5 per cent of our daily calorie intake, which is half of its previous recommendation.  And one of the sad facts of the North American diet is that even if you avoid all desserts, you're still putting way more sugar into your body than it needs.  Sugar is hiding in everything from cereals (even the "healthy" ones), to fruit juices (even the "natural" ones), salad dressings, pretty much everything on a fast food menu, and so on.

Even worse than regular white table sugar are the alternatives that are marketed to dieters and diabetics. Products like Equal, Splenda and other aspartame-based products are pumping chemicals into your body which may or may not have health risks such as cancer attached to them.  I'd definitely prefer to avoid those.

Don't even get me started on High Fructose Corn Syrup.

So, what are we supposed to do, living in a world surrounded by sugar?  Ideally, the best course of action would be to change your taste buds.  Train them not to crave the sweet anymore.  If you're serious about this, my best advice would be to follow the Whole 30 plan for one month.  It's HARD.  But I did it.  And you can too.  And it's worth it.

If you're not quite ready to go that far, here's a list of the sugar alternatives that I like to keep on hand in my pantry:

Coconut Sugar
Coconut Sugar (aka coconut palm sugar) is derived from the sap of the coconut palm.  The sap is heated to remove water content, and then crushed into granules.  It looks and tastes similar to brown sugar.  It's low on the glycemic index, and can be used at a 1:1 ratio in most recipes.  Coconut sugar is gaining popularity in North America and can be found in many grocery stores (I actually saw some in No Frills, our local discount grocer, last night!), or it can be ordered online.


Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup is personally, one of my favourite sweeteners to use.  It is readily available, and easy to use.  When replacing sugar with maple syrup in baked goods, you will probably need to reduce the amount of other liquids by about a quarter to a third. Slightly less easy to find in stores is maple sugar, which is the dehydrated, granulated form of maple syrup.  But it may be easier to replace in recipes.



Honey (Raw, Local)

Honey, particularly raw, local honey if you can find it, is an excellent choice as a sugar alternative.  It has health benefits beyond many sugar alternatives as it aids in local allergies and is packed with vitamins.  It is sweeter than table sugar, and packs more calories.  Honey has a different flavour than most other sugars, so it may not always be the best substitute in baked goods - but it is definitely excellent in a cup of tea.



Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and is commonly found in chewing gum, as it's known for its tooth remineralizing properties.  In its granulated form, it is very low on the glycemic index and can be replaced 1:1 with sugar.  It has fewer calories than sugar and is absorbed slower by the body, which makes it an excellent alternative for diabetics.  The one down-side to xylitol that I've read about is that it may produce a laxative effect if consumed in high quantities.  I've personally never experienced this, but since reading it, I avoid using it as a substitute in recipes calling for a large amount of sugar.

Stevia
Stevia is derived from a plant in the sunflower family.  It comes in various forms:
granulated, powdered, or liquid drops being among the most popular.  The liquid form is often flavoured.  Stevia is popular as a sugar substitute because it has zero calories, zero carbs and is at zero on the glycemic index.  Depending on the brand, stevia can have a licorice-type aftertaste, so it's not necessarily my favourite of the sweetener alternatives, but it definitely has its place on this list.


**Note: One other sugar alternative that I do not personally use is Agave Syrup.  I've read a lot of pros and cons on agave, and I'm not convinced that it's any better than table sugar, or any of the sugar alternatives I currently use in my own home.  Feel free to discuss your thoughts in the comments!