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To make date and nut coconut cocoa balls, combine the dates almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts and mix well. Once cooled, divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and shape each portion into round balls. Take a ball and dip half the side of each ball into the dessicated coconut and the remaining half side of each ball into cocoa powder. Do that with 5 balls to get date and nut coconut cocoa balls. For the remaining 5 balls, dip them in dessicated coconut to get 5 date and nut coconut balls. Serve the date and nut coconut cocoa balls immediately or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. It stays fresh for 20 days.

The date and nut coconut cocoa balls recipe is an outta-the-world sweet treat, which can be had as a nutritious evening snack or double-up as a mithai for Diwali and other festivals.

While there is nothing so new about making ladoos out of dry fruits, the coating of coconut and cocoa gives the balls an absolutely new dimension. Coating one side of the ball with desiccated coconut and the other side with cocoa not only gives healthy date and coconut balls an all-new taste, but also a very appealing appearance with brown and white hues.

You can make a few batches of this date balls healthy Indian dessert and store it in an airtight container at room temperature. While you are on a sweet-making spree, try other delightful dates-based treats like Date and Sesame Puranpoli and Date and Walnut Cake.

One choco coconut energy ball provides 97 calories with 2.4 g of protein and 1.4 g of fibre, thus making it a perfect satiating choice for weight watchers. Dates are natural sweetener and provide necessary sweetness along with good amounts of potassium.

The nuts provide a dose of B vitamins along with omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids help to reduce inflammation in the body and have heart protecting benefits. These date and nut coconut cocoa balls are easy to carry to work and it is sure to perk up your mood.  

Tips for date and nut coconut cocoa balls. 1. While buying fresh dates, select those that are smooth-skinned, glossy and plump. Avoid dates that are broken, cracked, dried, shrivelled or sour-smelling. 2. Remember to store in the refrigerator till use. You can remove it and keep it room temperature for 10 minutes before serving if need be.

Is Date and Nut Coconut Cocoa Balls healthy?

Yes, this is healthy.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Dates (Khajur) : 1 cup of dates (90 gm) gives around 8.05 gm of fiber and will lower down the cholesterol level and will also aid in weight loss. A cup of dates contain 703 mg of potassium (14.95% of RDA) which helps in the regulation of blood pressure and also prevents formation of kidney stones. Dates have a low glycemic index from 43 to 55 depending on the variety, so they are a boon to diabetics to satisfy their sweet tooth. But the amount of its consumption has to be strictly monitored. See details for 8 super benefits of dates. 

2. Almonds (badam) : Almonds are rich in B complex vitamins such as Vitamin B1, Thiamine, Vitamin B3, Niacin and Folate which plays an important role in the brain development. Almonds balances your cholesterol levels. almonds have a very low glycemic index and good for diabetics. See all 13 super health benefits of almonds. 

3. Cashew Nuts (kaju) : In general, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and pinenuts are a healthy snack to carry keep with you as they are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and good for heart. They are a healthy snack for Diabetics. Dietary intakes of cashew and other foods rich in magnesium helps to regulate blood pressure. See 9 amazing benefits of cashew nuts for complete details.

4. Pistachios : are rich in potassium (helps regulate the body's fluid balance), phosphorus (helps build bones and teeth) and magnesium (important element in the conversion of the body's energy), and are also a good source of vitamin B6 (aids protein metabolism and absorption) and thiamine (enhances energy and promotes normal appetite).
· These nuts also have a relatively low calorie value when compared to other nuts and are cholesterol free, high in fibre and low in saturated fat.
· These nuts are also a very good source of protein.
· Like most other nuts, pistachios can also cut heart disease risk. The high monounsaturated fat content may actually lower cholesterol levels in the blood.
· Pistachios also contain antioxidants in the form of phytochemicals. These plant nutrients have been associated with a decreased risk for developing chronic diseases, like cancer.
· Pistachios are cholesterol-free and high in monounsaturated fat, The fat in pistachios contains no cholesterol or monounsaturated fat, which means that they, along with other nuts, will help protect you from heart attacks. The copper, magnesium, and B vitamins in pistachios all strengthen your immune system, making your body fit
· Eating pistachios may reduce the body's response to the everyday stresses of life.

5. Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened : Cocoa is rich in polyphenols like flavonoids, catechins and epicatechins. These show anti-inflammatory effect as well help the body get rid of harmful free radicals and thus reduce the onset of various chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Small amounts of cocoa powder have been proven to reduce insulin sensitivity and improve blood sugar control and benefit diabetics. Some random trials with cocoa powder have exhibited reduction in the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the body making it good for heart and good for weight loss. See detailed benefits of cocoa powder.

Note : 1 cup = 200 ml (standard cup available in the market). The weight in grams varies for each ingredient.

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Date and Nut Coconut Cocoa Balls?

Yes, this recipe is good for heart and weight loss. 1 cup of dates (90 gm) gives around 8.05 gm of fiber and will lower down the cholesterol level and will also aid in weight loss. Diabetics need to consider the carbs it lends as a part of their diet before consumption.

Can healthy individuals have Date and Nut Coconut Cocoa Balls?

Yes. Cocoa used in the recipe is rich in polyphenols like flavonoids, catechins and epicatechins. These show anti-inflammatory effect as well help the body get rid of harmful free radicals and thus reduce the onset of various chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss. 

One Date and Nut Coconut Cocoa Balls is high in

1. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 

2. Magnesium : Magnesium is required for formation of bones and teeth. It helps in the metabolism of calcium and potassium.

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 97 calories that come from one Date and Nut Coconut Cocoa Balls?

Walking (6 kmph) = 29 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 10 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 13 mins           

Swimming (2 kmph) = 17 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.