sunflower seed protein balls
Today I have an awesome nut-free and gluten-free muscle recovery protein ball snack to share with you all. It’s made with Sunflower Butter, instead of peanut butter, so folks with allergies can enjoy them. And you can take them to school without fear!
Back when I was in the Cayman Islands drinking much naughtier versions of these and eating this, I found out that I was going to be running in a two person relay for the Vermont City Marathon for the FitTeam. There are nine of us all together on the team, and we each are doing different lengths. I get to do the half! Yay, 13.1 miles woot! Then I was like, oh boy, 13.1 miles. Because I was running exactly zero miles per week back in February. And I think that the last time I had gone for a run before that was like… September. The Beach to Beacon seems like forvever ago. Look at me! I look like I was actually having fun! (photo below by Bill Runner.)
So I was really excited and scared. I have been so focused on BodyPump in the last six months, that lately running has not really been that much a part of my fitness profile. Okay, non-existant. Besides the BodyPump thing, running in Vermont in the winter is kinda lame. So that very day I found out, while I was still in the tropics I hit the road. I think I did three miles, and I felt like I was going to pass out. It was…not so easy. It was…humbling. My hip had been bothering me a lot before we even left for Grand Cayman, so I was really careful not to do too much. I am naturally slow. Plus it was like a million degrees and lets be honest here, I just wanted to be drinking Caybrew Lagers in the Jacuzzi.
The last half I ran was two years ago. Here is a pic from that day. Um, that wasn’t two hundred years ago right?
Training Plan and Long Runs
Anyway, once I got home I came up with a plan for my running and how it could fit in with my other workouts.
This is the plan I came up with:
Sunday: Teach BodyPump
Monday: Training session, focus on heavy weights, low reps and interval work. Gyrotonics and yoga (more on that below)
Tuesday: Rest Day
Wednesday: Teach BodyPump and short easy run
Thursday: Speedwork or Interval class with sprints
Friday: Teach Bodypump
Saturday: Long Run
Doable right? I started right off with doing one six miler each weekend, and by mid-March I started to add a mile on each week. Yesterday I did a 10.2 miles run. I meant to do 11, but my ankle and hamstring were really bothering me, so I decided not to push it.
Gyrotonics
Which brings me to the fact that I also started going to Andrea who is helping me with my postural realignment. That’s what I do on Mondays after working out. I tend to be a little stronger on one side than the other. Doing so much exercise can really exacerbate the problem for me, so she has been helping me stay out of the injury zone. She has me doing work on a gyrotonic device. It is pretty awesome. She is really tuned in to every little thing. She makes me do all sorts of physical therapy type exercises, and I have homework every day, which is really hard for me to make myself do, but it helps so much. Ahhh, I should be doing that right now!
Speed Work
I also have been doing speed work almost every week. I started with 400 meter repeats, and now I am up to 800 meter repeats. I generally dislike speed work. But lately I have been listening to a Pandora station that I seeded with DJ Bam Bam and trancing out while I sprint on the treadmill. I’m not joking. It is totally fine if you think I am a big dork. I am. But really it is kinda awesome actually. I felt like a machine when I did it last week. I did five 800s and then afterwards I did three rounds of as many pull-ups as I could (and then jumping up negatives) 25 push-ups and 16 sprinter sit-ups. I was so sore for three days afterwards, but I live for that kinda stuff. Well that and dark chocolate. Sad but true.
Speaking of being sore. With all of this training I am doing, I have been thinking a lot about muscle recovery. And what appears in the mail a few weeks ago? A big blue bag of Cabot Whey Protein.
Though I am more likely to get excited about a bowl of Greek yogurt drizzled with local honey than a bag of protein powder, there is some great information out there about whey and its benefits for athletes in general (and specifically those of us who do strength training.) In a nutshell, it is a fast acting protein. So it helps repair muscle, prevent DOMS and it balances negative protein levels after strength training. This article has more on it and it has info to calculate your overall protein needs depending on activity levels.
No this protein didn’t come in my CSA share. But I feel pretty good about the fact that it does come from the same family farms who bring us Cabot cheese. That includes the Webster Family Farm in Danville, VT. That is pretty cool. So I decided to give it a whirl, quite literally, in my food processor, to make these protein balls.
Love this recipe? Here are some more great protein and snack bites recipes!
Vegan Dark Chocolate Walnut Bites they’re super simple and healthy snack and will satisfy your chocolate cravings in only 15 minutes!
These Top 8 Allergen Free Protein Balls look amazing and everyone can enjoy them!
These Coconut Apricot Fig Bites from Lindsay are so easy to make.
sunflower seed protein balls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 24 balls 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
Gluten free and nut free whey protein balls with sunflower seeds, bananas and dried cranberries.
Ingredients
- 1 very ripe banana, mashed
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter, such as sunbutter preferably organic
- ¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup, dark or amber
- 4 scoops unflavored whey protein powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- ½ cup toasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- ½ cup dried cranberries, preferably fruit juice sweetened
Instructions
- Combine banana, sun butter and honey or maple in a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment. Process to combine. Add whey, coconut flour, cinnamon and salt and process until it forms a dense paste. Add sunflower seeds and cranberries and pulse until incorporated. Roll into 24 balls, about 1 ½ tablespoons each. Freeze in a re-sealable bag to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature before eating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 98
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 35 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
Disclosure: I was not compensated by Cabot Creamery Cooperative for this post or to be on the Cabot Fit Team. I received a free sample of the Whey protein from Cabot. All opinions expressed here are my own.
look at those BICEPS!!!! holy cow Katie you are looking phenom!! that BodyPump is def doing wonders, keep it up girrrl!
anddd I love this recipe! I recently started adding sunflower seeds to pastas and salads for an extra hit of healthy fats + protein and I can’t get enough! these are right up my alley
Thanks Christine! Gotta love the results from Pump! 😉 I love sunflower seeds too, especially as a nut-free sub and YES on salads totally yummy.
First up, I could never think you are dorky… Pandora station zone out or not. You’re such an inspiration Katie… seriously.
Love these protein balls!! I’m now looking for more and more ways to use whey, specifically for the reasons you detail… b/c it is such a great recovery ingredient.
One question – is the analysis per ball or a serving? And if so, did I overlook the # in a serving?
Ha ha, Regan. Thank you. The nutrition analysis is for one ball. I have been having one or two for a serving depending on my workout.
I saw pictures of you teaching BodyPump classes on Instagram and thought Wow..and now I’m even more blown away by those arms! I want to attend your class! I’ve been doing a lot of yoga lately and am considering going through the yoga instructor training course once the semester is over. My right side is def stronger than my left. Perhaps I need a gyrotonic device..but then again, my exercise route in is not so intense as yours. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the road so having these protein-packed snacks on hand may help with my road rage ;).
Thank you Min. Yoga is one of the elements I really need to add into my routine. I think everyone agrees with that, it is just making the time for it at this point. I think you would be an inspirational teacher. If only we lived near each other we could attend each others classes. 🙂 The gyrotonics device is really cool. It is so relaxing for sore and tired and overworked muscles, and really gets weak ones engaged. You with road rage? That idea cracks me up!!! I don’t think it is possible.
Unsalted Sunflower seeds are my all time favorite snacks and it’s really nice to see a recipe with them in it. I’m training these days to run my first 5K this summer and find your marathon training story to be so inspiring.
Thank you Angela. I hope you enjoy these protein balls!
Hi, which protein powder is used in this recipe? I’m currently using icon nutrition but want one that is gluten free. Thank you. Kevin.
I used the Cabot unflavored whey.
Yum, I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make a banana-based protein ball… just pinned these, thanks for sharing!
The banana really made these all work with less added sugar. I was really surprised how well it worked. Thank you for visiting Cassie!
Omfg – drool all over.
Thanks Kimberly. Glad to know a protein ball can inspire such revere!
I like the flavor, but are to soft and runny to stay in a ball.
I’m not sure why that would happen, but I am happy to help get to the bottom of it, and to figure out how to improve the texture. Did you make any substitutions? I am also wondering if the sunbutter was stirred before you measured it out of the jar.
How long do these last in a sealed container?
You can freeze them in a sealed container for a month. Or store them in the fridge for 4 days.