by Sharon Quercioli
Dates are Delicious! Better yet, they’re filled with many great nutrients. This means that they’re great to have as a snack as long as you can do so in moderation. If you’re going to be snacking, dates are a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Especially since dates are also high in iron and vitamin B-6.
Health Benefits
Bone Health
Dates are great for keeping your bones strong and healthy. They’re rich in manganese, magnesium, copper and selenium, which are all wonderful in helping prevent bone diseases like osteoporosis.
Antioxidants
They’re especially high in polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants compounds like polyphenols can help protect your body from inflammation. In fact, of most the fruits that are found on regular grocery shelves, dates have the most polyphenols.
Lowers Cholesterol
Dates don’t have any cholesterol or contain as much fat. If you eat them in moderation, they might even help with weight loss, and can help your cholesterol level.
Potassium and Fiber
A fourth of a cup of dates gives you over 10% of your daily fiber requirement. Since dates are so high in fiber, they will help you feel full longer, which is great if you’re looking to lose weight or manage your caloric intake. Dates are also high in potassium. Potassium is an electrolyte that your body uses for your heart health. Potassium is also great for building proteins and muscles in your body, which makes it a great post-workout snack.
Skin Care
Dates are good for your skin because they’re filled with vitamins C and D. These two vitamins work to help keep your skin elastic and smooth. If you suffer from mild skin conditions like light cases of eczema, or if you’re looking to add a few anti-aging techniques into your regular routine, I suggest incorporating a couple dates into your diet every day.
Recipes
If you’re looking to add a bit of extra iron, potassium, fiber, or antioxidants. There are some easy ways to work dates into your regular diet. You can stuff dates with nuts or cream cheese to make a nice finger food, and you can chop them up and top salads with them. I do that all the time and love them in my salads. You can blend dates into banana smoothies to help sweeten them up. In fact, you can even chop them up and add them to some Moroccan stews.
Sometimes I like to just eat them by themselves. They work as a great breakfast snack and go great with black coffee as well. This is why I like to keep a box of seeded dates in my fridge and have a couple each day.
Dates are great if you’re watching your blood sugar and if your sweet tooth is giving you fits. I often fall off the healthy diet wagon because of my sweet tooth, which is why I found a few delicious dessert and snack recipes using dates. These coconut date power balls are great if you want a quick pick-me-up. Just store a bunch in the fridge and reach for a couple when the afternoon slump hits.
Coconut Date Power Balls
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs of boiling water in a shallow bowl or on a plate
- 1 cup of pitted dates (medjool)
- 1/3 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- Almonds (though this part is optional)
Instructions
- Have the dried, pitted dates sit in the water (not submerged, just sitting in it so it can soak some of the moisture up) for about ten minutes.
- Put the dates in a food processer and pulse & blend them until they have broken down and have balled up into a big clump.
- Put the coconut shreds into a large shallow bowl or spread them onto a plate.
- Roll about two tablespoons of the date clump into a ball and then roll the ball in the coconut. You’ll have to press a little hard (but careful not to deform the ball) when you roll it, to ensure the coconut sticks. If you have almonds, just press an almond onto the finished ball.
- Repeat with the rest of the date clump.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or longer in the freezer.
Since coconut date power balls are such a cinch to make, I decided to add another recipe using dates! Here is a super easy recipe for healthy Banana-Date Cookies.
Banana-Date Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 bananas (ripe)
- 2 cups of rolled oats
- 1 cup of pitted dates (chopped)
- 1/3 cup of coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, mash your bananas and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Mix and combine it all well.
- Set it aside and let it sit and settle while you preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
- When the oven is preheated, drop mounds of the mixture (one teaspoon each) onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 20 minutes. They should be lightly brown.
If you want to experiment with these, you can try them with some cinnamon, cloves, or allspice added into the mixture as well. I like to add a few chopped nuts for a little extra protein and add some extra texture to these cookies.