Recipe: Vegan Tahini Coconut Date Bites

I’m a tried-and-true snacker. Some of my current favorites include: full-fat yogurt + 1/2 a crumbled BoBo’s oat bar or bites, hummus + veggies, cheese + crackers, or whatever homemade treat we have on hand. When I worked in an office, though, I used to always reach for a packet of almond butter or a protein bar — Square Organics, Health Warrior, Oatmega, Perfect Bar, to name a few. I loved the convenience of eating something packaged while typing away on my computer.

That said, there are quite a few protein bars out there that are a) no better than a Twix bar and b) cause digestive issues — mostly because of their sneaky chemical fillers and unnecessary additives. You can skim through some of the most bizarre protein bar ingredients here. Anyway, here’s my rule of thumb: if you can’t understand a particular ingredient, you probably shouldn’t put it in your body. Common sense, right? In essence,  understanding ingredients is far more beneficial than counting calories. At their core, calories are simply units of energy. We need ’em to do everything from sleep to move to type on our phones (a lot of ’em, too).

To segue, let’s talk about these simple, gooey energy bites. As of late, they’ve been my go-to snack. I’ll have one or two in the morning, enjoy them after lunch, or eat one right before bed.  Yes, I typically eat something within an hour of hitting the pillow. Doing so helps me sleep soundly, keeps my body satiated throughout the night, and helps stabilize my hormones.

These bites are portable, delicious, chock-full of healthy fats, and are lower on the glycemic index (meaning, they won’t significantly spike your blood sugar levels). Because I haven’t been craving nut butter lately, I used tahini to bind the dough together. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been enjoying tahini on everything — pancakes, sweet potatoes, salads, atop yogurt, and in smoothies. If you’re curious, here are 10 reasons to eat tahini 🙂 Due to the bites’ higher fat content, I keep these stored in the fridge. However, you can pop a few into a bag and take them with you on your commute, to the gym, etc. They’re a wonderful balance of sweet and nutty. Enjoy!