Here's a superseed protein ball built around seven distinct fibre sources - the variety is the point, since different fermentable fibres feed different bacterial groups and drive up short-chain fatty acid production (especially butyrate).
Prep Time 20 minutesmins
Total Time 20 minutesmins
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 16balls
Equipment
1 baking tray lined with parchment paper
1 Food processor optional (you can mix by hand in a large mixing bowl)
Ingredients
1cuplarge flake Sprouted One Degree oats
3/4cupnatural peanut butter
1cupsliced almonds
1/4cupchia seeds
1/4cup pumpkin seeds
1/4cuphemp hearts
1/4cupground flaxseed
1/2cupvanilla protein powder
1/4cup collagen powder
1/2TSPsalt
3/4cupraw honey
Coating
6squaresCamino White Chocolate Raspberry Bar
1TSPcoconut oil
Instructions
Add all your ingredients to a food processor and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the mixture off the sides every now and then.
Use an ice cream scooper to make 16 even balls (or 32 smaller sized balls). Lay them down on a parchment paper lined baking tray.
Melt the white raspberry chocolate In a microwave with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and drizzle over the protein balls.
Pop in the freezer for a few hours and enjoy,
Storage - Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months. I like pulling one straight from the freezer - they hold up surprisingly well.
Notes
7-Fibre Superseed Protein Balls
If there's one thing I'm always trying to sneak more of into my day (and my toddler's), it's fibre — and not just more of it, but more variety. Your gut bacteria aren't one big happy family all eating the same thing. Different microbes ferment different fibres, so the more types you feed them, the more diverse and resilient your microbiome tends to be. That's the whole idea behind aiming for 30+ different plants a week.These protein balls are one of my favourite shortcuts to that goal. Each one packs seven different fibre sources plus a double hit of protein from whey and collagen, they come together in about 10 minutes with no baking, and they keep in the fridge or freezer for whenever a snack attack hits.
What's doing the work
The fibre lineup:
Rolled oats — rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that's a favourite fuel for butyrate-producing bacteria (butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that helps keep your gut lining happy).
Ground flaxseed — soluble fibre plus lignans, a type of polyphenol.
Almond slices — fibre plus vitamin E and a satisfying crunch.
Chia seeds — form a gel-like, viscous fibre that's gentle and filling.
Hemp hearts — a little extra fibre alongside a nice protein and omega-3 boost.
Pumpkin seeds — mostly insoluble fibre, plus magnesium and zinc.
Peanut butter — fibre and healthy fats, and it doubles as the binder.
And the protein:
Whey protein powder — a complete, fast-digesting protein.
Collagen powder — extra protein with no change to taste or texture.
A few tips
Use ground flax, not whole. Whole flaxseeds tend to pass through undigested, so you miss most of the fibre and omega-3s. Buy it pre-ground or blitz it yourself, and store it in the fridge or freezer to keep it fresh.
New to a higher-fibre diet? Start with one ball a day and drink plenty of water. A sudden jump in fibre can leave you feeling bloated, so give your gut time to adjust.
Nut-free? Swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini and the almonds for extra pumpkin seeds.
