Turmeric Baru Seed Energy Balls

I’ve written about my love of turmeric before and it’s one of two spices I use every single day. It’s frequently used in Ayurveda for it’s warming properties and health benefits, Turmeric is high in antioxidants, good for liver support and anti-inflammatory. I wanted to include turmeric in these delicious baru seeds energy bites. Have you heard of baru seeds before?  These are good for using in school lunches are they aren’t nuts. I also intentionally added shatavari, an Ayurveda herbal tonic for women’s health.  I included local Vancouver company, NUIT almond butter, because it’s the equivalent of taking a multivitamin in food form. Loaded with B12, D3, K and omegas, you’re getting all the nutrients to thrive.

The Cerrado encompasses huge plots of land that span five different states in Brazil. The baruzeiro tree, from which baru seeds are harvested, grows alongside other trees as part of a diverse forest system. Unfortunately, the Cerrado, a piece of land larger than the State of Texas, is under great threat of deforestation. This is due to the unfortunate introduction of monoculture farming crops such as soy and corn. The introduction of these crops is causing a lot of harm to the local savannah ecosystem. Baru seeds could be the solution to this problem… The Cerrado is home to the largest underground aquifers, which are bodies of permeable rock that contain and transmit groundwater. If these aquifers were lost or harmed, it cold mean detrimental consequences for rivers not only in the Cerrado, but all across Brazil. The deep roots of the baruzeiro trees not only provide structural support for the soil but also help to sustain these aquifers due to their need for little to no irrigation. By harvesting and protecting  these baruzeiro trees, you are helping to sustain and protect not only the environmental integrity of the Cerrado, and Brazil as a whole, but also the communities that rely on them for food and income.  - Organic Traditions

I think it’s important to note that the majority of corn and soy is grown for animal feed and this is having detrimental impacts on water, land, greenhouse gas emissions and wild life. The biggest user of crop based feeds are chickens then pigs. Cutting way down or even eliminating meat helps the environment for future generations. We can’t ignore that there is a link between our diet and climate change. There is discussion on feeding farm animals insects and algae because the current way is a waste of resources. We vote with our dollar so every meal you eat meat from a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) you are negatively impacting the health of our planet and it’s biodiversity.

Protein-rich soy is now produced in such huge quantities that the average European consumes approximately 61kg each year, largely indirectly by eating animal products such as chicken, pork, salmon, cheese, milk and eggs. In 2010, the British livestock industry needed an area the size of Yorkshire to produce the soy used in feed. But if global demand for meat grows as expected, the report says, soy production would need to increase by nearly 80% by 2050.
- The Guardian

turmeric baru seed energy balls

Organic Ingredients

• 2/3 cup of  old fashioned oats

• 1 tsp turmeric spice

• 1/3 cup baru seeds

• Nuit almond butter or tahini if you need seeds, to blend

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1/2 tsp shatavari powder

• 8-10 dates, I recommend soaking them first if they aren’t super soft

• 2 tbsp of plant protein powder

• 1 tsp true cinnamon

Directions

1. mix all ingredients in a high powered food processor. You made need to scrap down the sides or add some water/nut milk or more nut butter.

Code BRUCESROOTS gets you 20% off Organic Traditions website!
This blog post is not sponsored and I don’t profit from you using a discount code.

You can make energy bites with so many different ingredients to play around and have some fun. You make them without dates and add in more nut butter too. Tag me if you make this yummy unique twist on a traditional energy ball.

Jordan, Vegan Nutrition
IG @brucesroots
FB: Bruce’s Roots

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