Sports nutrition products can eat a hole in your budget, so why not make your own? Sports diet consultant Kate Percy shows you how

Energy balls have become a fashionable addition to an athlete’s diet, promising a fast-acting boost without any of the nasties that come with overly processed gels. However, they are expensive and making your own is often a much better option.

Ingredients for about 20 balls

» 120g dates
» 80g jumbo mixed raisins
» 20g desiccated coconut plus 2 tbsp to coat
» 20g porridge oats
» A few drops coconut oil

Place the dates and raisins in a food processor and pulse until the mixture starts to stick together.

Then add the coconut, oats and coconut oil and give the mix a quick blast to combine.

Take small handfuls of mixture, about 12g each, and roll into balls in the palm of your hands.

Then spoon 2 tbsp desiccated coconut into a bowl and toss the balls in the mix to cover completely.

These will keep for at least a couple of weeks, when stored in a plastic bag or airtight container.

» For more sports nutrition recipes visit Go Faster Food at gofasterfood.com. You can also sign up there for Kate Percy’s free weekly #GoFasterFriday training recipe

Click the links below for other DIY sports nutrition recipes:

DIY recovery shake | DIY energy bars | DIY isotonic drink