This last weekend, I was an attendee and speaker at the Nutritional Therapy Conference. And when one thousand NTPs come together, we eat very, very well. The conference meals were outstanding, and between meals we sampled the artisan chocolate, supplements, and fermented foods in the Exhibitor’s hall.
We were in our bubble. We talked collagen, herbal remedies, and infrared saunas in the hallways. One of my colleagues brought to our awareness how privileged we were to access these trending superfoods and high-tech health tools.
“Our bubble can be intimidating to people,” she said. “We don’t want to send the message that healthy eating requires making smoothies filled with collagen, mushrooms, adaptogens, and propolis. If we present healthy eating that way, we make it inaccessible and overwhelming to those who need a healthier lifestyle.”
She deserved a standing ovation for that important observation.
While fancy superfood powders and elixirs can support our health, they are not the foundation of health.
At Empowered Sustenance, I focus on practical grain-free recipes. I want to make nutrient-dense, healing food both accessible and appealing. But I’m also a nutrition nerd, and I enjoy using those fancy superfood powders.
So I give you full disclosure: this is not one of my essential recipes for an easy weeknight meal. It’s a fun recipe chockfull of those powerhouse superfoods.
About the ingredients in Matcha Collagen Energy Bites
Coconut butter provides the creamy base for these energy bites, and also lends a natural sweetness from the coconut. I’ve used before for my DIY Protein Bars. The high concentration of nourishing fat means just one of these energy bites will leave you satisfied without a blood sugar spike.
I use only a small amount of raw honey, as I prefer to keep the sweetener as low as possible in my treats.
Matcha powder provides a dose of anti-oxidants and a small amount of caffeine for an energy boost. While I don’t tolerate caffeine in coffee, I find it doesn’t bother me from black tea or matcha.
Collagen protein provides easily-digested protein. The unique amino acid profile of collagen supports healthy skin, balanced hormones, and digestion.
Pistachios provide a vibrant green color to compliment the matcha filling and the flavor is a perfect compliment to the bee pollen.
Bee pollen boasts a natural sweetness and a slight floral flavor, but the flavor profile will vary depending on the harvest location of the pollen. Like other substances (including raw honey, propolis, royal jelly) produced by bees, bee pollen is a nutrient-dense superfood. It’s a concentrated source of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Research-backed benefits include:
- Anti-inflammatory qualities that have been compared to anti-inflammatory drugs
- Immune-boosting properties, including suppression of the mast cells which contribute to allergic responses
- Supports liver health, perhaps due to anti-oxidant properties (Source)
You can often find local bee pollen at your food co-op or farmer’s market. I recommend that route, but if it’s inaccessible, you can get it here at Thrive. Store bee pollen in your fridge or freezer.
- ½ cup coconut butter, available here
- 1 Tbs. raw honey
- 2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp. matcha, available here
- Pinch of salt
- 2 scoops (about ¼ cup) Vital Protein Collagen, available here
- ¼ cup pistachios
- 2 Tbs. bee pollen (see About the Ingredients section), available here
- The coconut butter should be soft enough to stir. Like coconut oil, the consistency of coconut butter varies with the room temperature. If it is solid, I recommend placing the jar in a pan of hot water, allowing the water to come halfway up the sides of the jar. Sit for 5 minutes to soften, then stir until creamy.
- Stir together the coconut butter, raw honey, coconut oil, matcha, salt, and collagen. Set aside.
- In a coffee or spice grinder, blitz together the pistachios and bee pollen until you have a crumbly mixture. Alternatively, finely chop the pistachios and stir together with the bee pollen.
- Form the filling into balls, using about a tablespoon of filling. Coat in the pistachio/pollen mixture. Chill on a parchment-lined baking sheet until firm -- a couple of hours.
- Store the energy bites in the fridge of freezer, because they will soften at room temperature.
Just love this recipe <3
I am a matcha lover and am always looking for new ways to use matcha. Delicious!