Thyroid-supporting Protein Date Balls

I love having these on hand as a pre-workout snack for the easy carbohydrate and protein combo. I originally came up with this ingredient combination after many unsuccessful attempts trying to get my boys to eat any form of pumpkin seeds or Brazil nuts. They actually love eating these protein balls and keep well in a lunchbox for a healthy side! 

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and the Brazil nuts are the highest food source of selenium. Both are critical nutrients for supporting thyroid function and T4 to T3 conversion. Plus, these protein balls are rolled in ground flaxseed to supply additional nutrients from lignans, omega 3s from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and fiber. 

Ingredients:

8 pitted Medjool dates (~ 150 grams on a gram scale)

¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds

11 raw Brazil nuts

1 scoop chocolate protein powder of choice (one of my favorites: Thorne Whey Protein Powder)

⅓ cup ground flaxseed

Steps: 

1. Soak pitted dates in warm water for ~ 5 minutes. 

2. While the dates soak, blend pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts in a food processor until they resemble a coarse meal.  Add in the scoop of protein powder and give the processor a few more pulses to get the powder mixed into the nuts. 

3. Squeeze the excess water out of the dates before adding them into the food processor. 

4. Blend until everything is well combined. It will form a slightly sticky paste that should be easy to handle like cookie dough. 

5. Pour the ground flaxseed on a plate and roll the date mixture into 2-inch balls. Roll each ball in the ground flaxseed until the whole surface area is covered. Makes about ten 2-inch protein balls.

These protein balls are best stored in the refrigerator to help them become firm and give them a dense texture. Enjoy!