Get Some Dates in Your Life!

Dates? Romantic Dates?

Well, naturally we all want to feel special and go for a romantic meal now and then, but I’m not talking about candlelit dinners.

I’m talking about the gooey delicious dark fruits that are oh-so-under rated and oh-so good.

I confess: I didn’t know what a Date was until a few years ago. I put Dates, Figs and Prunes in the same category and associated them with my friends beloved Grandma and being eaten only to help with digestive “issues”.

Oh, how foolish I was.

I first brought some Dates after a recommendation from one of my favourite YouTube health gurus and from the first bite: was completely hooked. It tasted like fudge!! How is this fruit? How is this good for me? I could happily eat this as a dessert.

Since that moment Dates have become a staple in my diet. A trip to the supermarket wasn’t complete without a packet of dates. Co-workers would snigger at my idea of “lunch”, not believing as I insisted that I would happily eat this packet of fruit over a sandwich. I would try to get them to taste one and if their reaction was anything other than ecstasy – I was baffled.

My love affair continues to this day and if you have not already dipped your toe in the Date pool let me inspire you!

Here are just a few reasons to get some Dates on your plate:

1)   They’re really damn healthy.

That’s right. Things that taste good can be healthy! Right up there with avocadoes and tahini, Dates are my favourite Not-Guilty pleasure. Dates are very high in fibre, which is good for digestion (but don’t start thinking you’re going to have to make home in the bathroom if you eat too many. MYTH.) If you have a lot of built-up waste in your system, then yes, Dates will probably help move things along, but if you are relatively healthy and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables anyway, there shouldn’t be much change. As Dates are a fruit, they’re highest in carbohydrate (which is a GOOD thing), have a good source of protein and ZERO fat. None! If you snack on a dates in your day, expect a nice dose of vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, potassium and more.

2)   They’re high calorie. Which means: high ENERGY!

“Calorie” is not a dirty word, ladies. Calorie means ENERGY. And you need plenty of zappy, vibrant energy to make you the zappiest and most vibrant lady. One Date has nearly 60 calories, so yes, that’s a lot of bang for your buck. This makes dates such a good, key staple in a vegan, whole foods diet because most fruits and vegetables are very LOW in calories. It’s important to find high-calorie foods so that you don’t end up deficient, tired or craving weird things…like animal products!

3)   Great Smoothie ingredient!

Need something to sweeten up your smoothie? Chuck in a few dates! I have found it a preferable ingredient to any other sweetener. I used to use Agave, but now I just put in a few pitted dates and it’s even more delicious. My favourite morning smoothie is Bananas, Dates, Cinnamon, flaxseed and water; so creamy and so delicious.

4)   The True Guilt-Free Dessert 

If you are craving something sweet after dinner – try snacking on a few dates instead of chocolate and see if you love it as much as I do. Or, even better, use dates to make an amazing raw dessert! If you own a food processor than you can create any of the millions of raw desserts out there, most of which use dates as a key ingredient. When you blend up dates in a food processor, they become a lovely sticky paste, perfect for the base of a raw pie or making raw balls…. endless possibilities!

I also love making a date sauce in my blender and pouring it over fruit!

5)   Easy and Cheap on the Go

Having a packet of dates in my bag, means I always have access to a delicious, satisfying and high-energy snack. If you’re like me and often jumping around from place to place, sometimes not knowing exactly when your next meal will be, this is a great easy way to never go hungry or tired. If you have good local markets or even a grocery superstore near you; they often sell dates in bulk, which works out nice and cheap. The pitted bags are great for your smoothies, but always buy gooey, yummy Medjools for snacking!

I hope you can now begin a similar love affair with this delicious fruit, if you haven’t already! Take a first bite, devour and mind the giant seed inside!