6 OF THE BEST

Energy balls

By Madeleine Howell

What exactly is an energy ball, you might ask? A nutritious trend that was once the preserve of healthy eating bloggers – and championed by plant-based food writer and entrepreneur Ella Mills (aka Deliciously Ella) – examples of the portable spherical snacks are now ubiquitous at supermarket checkouts across the country, replacing the cereal bars of yesteryear.

The power-packed components vary widely, but they tend to contain a mix of protein, carbs (such as oats or Medjool dates) and “superfoods” such as cashews, flaxseed or cacao. Such energy-boosting bites are easy to make at home (creative recipes abound online, some of which don’t even need to be baked).

Love them or hate them, should you find yourself short of time and in need of something to nibble, new pre-made ranges are launching all the time – including free-from and raw options, depending on your dietary requirements. Here are some of our favourites…

SPOONS OF TASTE MATCHA TEA “FEEL GOOD BITES” £2.69 PER 60G PACK OF 5, SPOONSOFTASTE.COM

A new nut-free brand, Spoons of Taste, caters for those with allergies: the bites are also gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan-friendly and contain no soya, GMOs or added sugars. We liked this metabolismboosting matcha version with oats and chia seeds. Naturaltasting and virtuous. 7/10

DELICIOUSLY ELLA CASHEW AND GINGER ENERGY BALL £1.85 PER 40G BALL, OCADO

Contains just four ingredients: dates, cashews, oats and fiery ginger. Squidgy but firm in texture and far from bland, but it is an expensive choice – and because it’s made up of 57 per cent dates, it might be too sweet and sugary for some palates (albeit naturally occurring sugar). 7/10