Raw Energy Balls

Energy Balls: By Deanne

Take a mix of seeds, nuts and dried fruit.

Puree in a food processor or juicer.

Add sesame seeds, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and mesquite powder.

Roll into balls and coat with Coconut Flakes.

Here is the list of ingredients I used, but it can vary depending on what you have in your pantry:

Dates
Prunes
Himalayan Mulberries

Almonds
Sunflower Seeds
Macadamia Nuts
Hazlenuts

Cocoa Powder
Mesquite Powder*
Vanilla Extract

Sesame Seeds

Pureed Fresh Ginger

*More on Mesquite Powder:

Mesquite is a nutritious powder with a sweet, nutty flavor, suitable for use in baking or as a seasoning on food and in drinks. The powder is ground from the seed pods of the mesquite plant, also known as algorroba (Prosopis juliflora), a leguminous plant found in arid areas around the world, including parts of South America and the southwestern U.S.

In desert areas of the Americas, mesquite seed pods have long been used as a food source by the indigenous peoples, who traditionally ground them into a powder to be used as a flour or processed into a sweetener, a sweet beverage, or a fermented alcoholic drink. Today, mesquite powder is proving to be a versatile food with a high nutritional and flavor value.

Mesquite is also highly effective in balancing blood sugar. Because its sugar is in the form of fructose, which does not require insulin for metabolism, mesquite helps maintain a constant blood sugar level for a sustained period of time. It supports the diet of diabetics, and helps maintain a healthy insulin system in others.

Because mesquite powder is ground from the entire pod, including the seed, it is high in protein (11–17%). It is also rich in:

• Lysine
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Dietary fiber

Mesquite is highly effective in balancing blood sugar. For thousands of years, Native Americans in the Southwest and Mexico relied on mesquite as a food staple, and there was no diabetes in those communities. Today, as the people have moved away from their native foods and become less active, diabetes and obesity have skyrocketed. Fifty percent of the Pima and Tohono O'odham people over the age of 35 reportedly suffer from diabetes, and it is believed that the removal of mesquite from their diets is one of the main causes.

Because its sugar is in the form of fructose, which does not require insulin for metabolism, mesquite helps maintain a constant blood sugar level for a sustained period of time. With a glycemic index of 25 and a high percentage (25%) of dietary fiber, it digests more slowly than many grains, preventing sharp rises and falls in blood sugar. Mesquite thus supports the diet of diabetics, and helps maintain a healthy insulin system in others.

Mesquite powder has social and ecological as well as nutritional value. The marketing of mesquite products harvested in arid rural areas fights desertification and provides a sustainable economic alternative to cutting down trees for rangeland, charcoal production, or other purposes.

Mesquite powder can be used in breads, biscuits, pie crusts, and other raw or baked goods, where it is usually used in combination with other flours (25-30% mesquite). Because of its high lysine content, it is an excellent addition to crackers and dehydrated foods, which may be low in lysine.

The powder's molasses-like flavor, with a slight hint of caramel, also goes well in teas, coffees, and smoothies. It's delicious in dairy or seed/nut yogurts and energy bars, and fruit/nut butter spreads. As a seasoning, it can be added to soups, sauces, casseroles, and virtually any vegetable or meat dishes, or even sprinkled on desserts.