Guest Post – Carrot Cake Protein Balls

So excited to have Tina from Carrots N’ Cake guest posting on the blog today! I’ve followed Tina for years now and love seeing all the projects she takes on and how much she busts her ass, especially as a working mom. Be sure to check out her website and get inspired to work hard every day, no matter what life throws in your way!

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Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to guest post on paleOMG! I’ve been reading Juli’s blog for years and we have a lot in common – from our love of Crossfit and medium-sized, flat-faced dogs to our belief that a “clean” diet with a few treats sprinkled is definitely part of a healthy lifestyle. I look to her for both fashion and food inspiration – she has the best clothes and the most delicious recipes! Her Chicken Bacon Alfredo and Almost 5 Ingredient Pizza Spaghetti Pie are regulars in our house!

So, on to the introductions… I’m Tina Haupert, content creator at Carrots N’ Cake, Co-Founder and Nutrition Coach at Designed to Fit Nutrition, Co-Founder of Nutrition House Software, Crossfitter, runner, pug owner, iced-coffee lover, and mom to a 4 year old tiny human, Quinn. Phew, that’s a lot, I know, but my packed schedule has inspired me to show other people living a similar lifestyle that it’s still possible to eat healthy and stay active even if you are always on the go. Healthy living doesn’t need to be difficult, and you don’t need to be “perfect” all the time. If anything, being a little less perfect makes you a little more consistent, and that’s what healthy living is all about!

Let’s backtrack a little to where Carrots N’ Cake began 10 years (!!!!) ago. Back in 2008, I was recently engaged and wanted to “shape up” for my wedding day, but I’ve never been a proponent of crash diets or unsustainable weight loss. I wanted a true lifestyle change, something I could continue long after the wedding was over. I had a binder (old school, I know) of recipes and workouts, but I needed a better way to keep myself organized. I had started reading a couple of healthy living blogs and my interest was piqued, so I thought – what the heck, why not start one of my own? Plus, my then-fiance Mal was totally absorbed in Fantasy Football (ha!), and I wanted to have my own hobby. So, on February 3rd, 2008, also National Carrot Cake Day (and quite the coincidence), Carrots N’ Cake was born!

What initially began as a personal blog to hold myself accountable has morphed into something incredible – who knows what the next ten years will bring! I would have never believed that my little corner of the internet would grow into a way for me to share so much of my life with so many wonderful people. CNC has evolved as my interests have evolved, and it’s so cool that I get to share my love of delicious food (and wine), fun workouts, and athleisure (I leave the more fashionable stuff to Juli – I will rock leggings and a hoodie everyday), all with a sprinkling of daily #momlife shenanigans, easy recipes, and the “true life” of tackling a chronic illness (ulcerative colitis) head first.

Over the years, CNC has worn many faces, but one of the overarching themes you will always find me writing about is CrossFit. I credit CrossFit with introducing me to an awesome community of like-minded people and completely overhauling the way I approach fitness. After only a few months, I found myself becoming faster and stronger and was able to complete pull-ups, olympic lifts, rope climbs, etc. – all sorts of crazy stuff I would have never thought possible. I lost body fat while actually gaining a few pounds – proof that the scale doesn’t tell the whole story, but, most importantly, I saw a huge boost in my overall confidence, both inside the gym and out!

Joining Crossfit also introduced me to the Paleo diet. I was hardcore Paleo for years, and I think it’s a great framework for eating nutrient-dense foods that are not full of chemicals and other junk while fueling your body for athletic performance. Plus, Paleo recipes are the bomb! They’re delicious, nutritious, and most of all, satisfying, which you don’t typically find on a “diet.”

One of the many things I love about Juli is that while she eats *mostly* Paleo, she still makes room for non-Paleo foods like rice and (duh) gluten-free cupcakes because that’s what works for her. She puts happiness before perfection and is completely unapologetic about it. I believe that notoriously “bad” foods can absolutely be a part of a well-balanced diet. In fact, there are no “bad” foods, except the ones that we don’t like or don’t want to eat. While I believe we should strive to eat as nutrient-dense as possible so that we are nourishing our bodies for optimal living, life would be a hell of a lot less exciting if you couldn’t have your carrots and your cake, too! That’s why I’ve created these Carrot Cake Protein Balls, just for you guys. They’re so incredibly delicious, don’t require a ton of ingredients (most of which you probably already have in your kitchen), and can be whipped up in 10 minutes, flat. I hope you love them as much as I do!

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Carrot Cake Protein Balls

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

3.8 from 15 reviews

• Author: juli
• Yield: 9 protein balls 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
• 1/2 cup almond flour or meal
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1/3 medium carrot, finely grated
• 3 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and place in a glass storage container.
2. Store protein balls in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.

Notes

If you want even more amazing, paleo friendly recipes, don’t forget to follow Tina on her social media accounts below and let her know how much you love this recipe by trying it out and leaving a comment below! She also has a ton of other content on her blog like fitness, fashion, beauty and she just recently teamed up with Four Athletics to launch her new leggings!

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

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