Being health conscious and always seeking ways to up my nutritional intake, I created what I call my go-to Iron Bombs.
Naturally sweet, they help with sugar cravings or a quick snack on the go. My 13 month old loves them.
Women and children especially need high amounts iron compared to men. Women's requirement is 18 mg/day. Babies under a year old need a whopping 11 mg/day. While breastfeeding babies need a lot less because the absorbency rate in breast milk is 50-70% while formula has a mere 1% absorbency rate. (These numbers are based on 1-20% expectant absorbency rate.)
The tricky thing is that it takes Vitamin C to absorb iron. And that is why I add chai seeds to boost the Vitamin C.
Chai seeds are a powerhouse of nutrients with
-7 times more Vitamin C than oranges
-It contains 20% Omega 3 ALA, making it a super food for the brain and heart. Chia has eight times more Omega 3 than salmon!
-It boasts 20% protein
-Chia contains five times more calcium than milk
-It contains three times more iron than spinach
-It contains twice the potassium content of banana
They have a positive impact balancing blood glucose levels (making it awesome for diabetics)
Raisins are what makes these balls sweet. While high in iron Mother Nature also put Vitamin C right alongside the iron in this fruit.
Here's how to go about making these naturally sweet Iron Balls.
Take a cup of walnuts to big TB of chai seeds and dump in your processor. Process until the walnuts are broken up into a fine consistency or crumbs.
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Next add 3 Tablespoons of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of gluten free oatmeal, I cup of raisins and 4 tablespoons of water.
Pulse until everything is mixed and sticks together enough to form into balls.
Now comes the fun and sticky part. Wet your hands a bit, then form into 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch balls. Put them in fridge to harden if you can wait that long to eat them. Don't eat them all in one sitting. Store the rest in fridge.
#Iron Balls Recipe
1 cup walnuts
2TB chai seeds
1 cup raisins
3 TB coconut oil
1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
4 TB water
In a processor, process walnuts and chai seeds until crumbly. Add the rest of ingredients and process until it sticks together enough to form balls. Wet hands and form 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Harden and Store in fridge. Pop in your mouth.
