Collagen has become super trendy these days…but for very good reason! It’s the most abundant protein in the entire body and supports our tissues elastic quality. Collagen starts to decline in our 20’s. So, by the time we reach our 60’s, we have half the amount of collagen we had in our 20’s! How crazy is that?! That’s why as you age, collagen decline is very easily seen in your face, from those fine lines and wrinkles. Not surprising that one of the most compelling research points is just how amazing collagen is for healthy, hydrated, and youthful skin. But the benefits of collagen really don’t stop here…
We are literally made up of collagen. It’s in our blood, bones, joint cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and of course, our skin. In fact, 90% of the dermis of the skin is made up of collagen — that’s like the scaffolding of the skin!
Collagen is also proving to be effective in increasing bone density (it prevents bone degradation in postmenopausal women), improving sports recovery, and supporting both gut and cardiovascular health (prevents arterial stiffness).
The challenge today is most of us aren’t eating the foods that contain collagen, because it’s in parts of the animal that most people don’t always eat, like the fish skins, chicken feet, and the comb on the rooster.
Some of you might be thinking “what about bone broth?” While drinking bone broth does contain collagen – and it has so many amazing benefits on its own – it’s hard to know just how much collagen you are actually taking in through a bone broth. Keep in mind, that it’s best to make your own bone broth or source out a quality brand like Bonafide Provisions. Tetra packaged bone broths (those boxed ones) are ultra high temperature pasteurized, which means that they’ve been heated at such high temperatures and this breaks down all that awesome gelatinous collagen goodness!
For this reason, many people today are turning to taking collagen as a natural health supplement. One scoop of collagen powder provides 10 grams of protein, that’s about two tablespoons worth. Although there are flavored varieties, a lot of the collagens available are odorless and tasteless making it super easy to just mix it into a hot drink, tea, smoothie or a no-bake protein bite like these!
Make sure you are buying a collagen that is hydrolyzed; also known as collagen peptides. Hydrolyzed collagen is easiest for the body to digest, and research has shown that these collagen peptides get absorbed into the small intestine and get directly delivered to the target tissues. Yah!
No-Bake Collagen Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup almond flour sub tigernut flour for nut-free
- 2 scoops unflavored clean collagen like Bullet Proof, Vital Proteins, and Primal Kitchen
- 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil, melted
- 4 Tbsp. non-dairy mini chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life brand) sub mini chocolate chips if not dairy-free
- 2-3 extra tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut for rolling the bites (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the coconut, almond flour, and collagen in a medium bowl and mix.
- Add the maple syrup and coconut oil. Stir until mixed thoroughly.
- Add the chocolate chips. Put the batter in your fridge for about 15 minutes; this makes the next step of rolling the dough into bites much easier.
- Form into 1-inch balls using a teaspoon to spoon out the dough. Place into a glass dish or bowl.
- If you want, roll each bite into extra shredded unsweetened coconut.
- Keep the bites chilled. Refrigerate for one week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
