One of my favorite salad combinations is walnuts with beets. There are so many ways you can play around with these two ingredients in a salad. For this recipe I included a bright pop of citrus with grapefruit and added sweetness with a honey balsamic dressing that is so simple to make it’s silly. 

Walnuts are probably one of my favorite nuts because of their nutrient value. Walnuts contain good fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and are also a great source of the essential fatty acid omega-3. They also contain iron, selenium, calcium, zinc, vitamin E and even some B vitamins. Talk about a nutritional powerhouse! 

I am specifically using Diamond of California Walnuts in this recipe because they decrease the risk of heart disease by helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels and decreasing blood pressure*.  Diamond of California Walnuts are an American Heart Association Certified Heart Health Food and have been held to the highest standards of quality and freshness to guarantee a delicious experience. 

Here is how you can create this delicious recipe! I made it vegetarian which makes a delicious lunch or side salad for dinner. You could also add protein such as chicken to create a filling dinner!

1 small roasted beet
1/2 grapefruit, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp. Diamond of California Walnuts, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 cup butter lettuce 
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar 
1 tbsp. runny honey 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Remove stems from beet. Wrap in foil and bake for 50-60 minutes until you can pierce with a fork. Create your dressing by combining the olive oil, vinegar and honey with a whisk or place ingredients in a mason jar with a lid and shake. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Assemble your salad, drizzle with dressing and enjoy! The flavor combo of this heart healthy salad is insanely delicious.  

*Pulled from California Walnuts website 

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Most of you who know me well, know that I am OBSESSED with real food and it's power to give you energy.  Which is why I cannot believe that I have never made energy balls before; complete madness, I know! These Walnut, Cocoa + Date Energy Ballz turned out so delicious yesterday that I have to share them with you. The main ingredients are dates, walnuts, and coconut which makes them high in fat.  Yes, FAT.  Good traditional fat that is high in Omega-3's that have amazing health benefits.  Peep this, fats are needed for:
- Mental, Metabolic and Muscular function (your brain is made of 60% fat)
- Food digestion, to break down the nutrients in your food properly for absorption
- Energy!  Your body burns fat for energy.  So yes, by eating good fats, you are burning fat.

The ingredient list below contains two good sources of healthy fats: walnuts and coconut oil.  I had some leftover walnut pulp from making walnut milk which I used in this recipe. Although this ingredient does give them an amazing and perfect cakey texture, I do acknowledge that not everyone is a nutzo like me (how's that for a pun, eh?!) who makes their own walnut milk. So you could definitely sub for all walnuts and they will still be oh so tasty.

Hope you enjoy these tasty treats, and warning, they are HIGHLY addictive. I love them for a pre or post work out snack.  Or just any time of the day!

Ingredients:
↠2 cups pitted dates
↠3/4 cup walnut pulp leftover from making milk
↠1 cup walnuts (or two cups of subbing for pulp)
↠1 heaping tbsp. cocoa powder
↠1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut + a lil' extra for rolling
↠2 tbsp. coconut oil 

Method: Add the walnuts, pulp and coconut to a food processor and pulse until the nuts are broken up and combined with coconut. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined and the "batter" is sticky and moldable. You might have to use a spatula to scrape down the sides a few times. Roll into tiny ballz, place on parchment paper (makes 18-24 depending on size of ballz). You can eat them at room temp for a softer texture, refrigerate them to firm up a bit or freeze to eat throughout the week.