Health Benefits of Dates (the ones you eat…😉) & a Fudgey Brownie Recipe!
First - if you’re new here - welcome! I’m a Certified Nutritional Practitioner and recipe developer who helps women feel empowered in their health journey, learn how to confidently eat well, find healing and support during chronic illness, and gain kitchen confidence through simple, delicious recipes for you and your family!
(Which also means I care DEEPLY about good snackage.)
Nutritional Benefits of Dates
I was recently enjoying my regular snack of dates and salted butter when I flipped over the container to see the most wonderful information.
Just 2 large medjool dates have 10% of our daily copper needs.
(and in a society that is typically under-consuming copper and other trace minerals, that's huge!)
Not only that, but dates contain a good serving of manganese, biotin (B7), potassium, and happiness. It's just science.
Dates also contain high amounts of anti-oxidants, including polyphenols, which are key in supporting low inflammation levels, combatting disease (both short and long-term), and lowering oxidative stress.
They have also been proven to have anti-cancerous properties. “Earlier studies reported that beta D-glucan from dates has shown antitumour activity.” (source)
That’s incredible!
And when you put a nice pat of salty butter on top? Divine.
Grass-fed butter has hormone-supportive Vitamins A, D, E, & K, which are all building blocks for getting our mineral intake where it needs to go, so putting those mineral-rich dates alongside butter is a beautiful combination!
(Dates also pair well with raw cheese!)
The Tale of How I Used to Take Dates on my..Dates.
Back in my Autoimmune Paleo days, when I was on a really limited diet and still in the thick of my Hashimoto's journey, my go-to movie snack would be a literal bag FULL of dates.
(I'm so sorry if sneaking movie snacks stresses you out).
In hindsight, it makes total sense why that always sounded so good to me!
I was severely under-eating at the time, and my mineral stores had been drastically depleted from back-to-back pregnancies and my own autoimmune stress. That simple movie-date-with-dates habit was a grace-giving treat.
(P.S. - have you ever noticed that some of the sweetest things are all the most mineral-rich? Dates, blackstrap molasses, honey, maple syrup, fruit…that's why we don't fear appropriate amounts of God-made sweet goodness around here!)
Now today, since I do have a nutrient-rich and varied food intake and am eating enough, I don't find myself needing to shovel quite literally handfuls of dates at a time 😂😮💨🤭
But what I DO love, is two large medjool dates with a good-sized butter piece each.
For health, and happiness. And for Narnia! 🫡
If you need some balanced snack guidance and inspiration, my Nourish book has a build-your-own-snack guide (and breakfast. and lunch. and dinner! and yes, dates and butter are included!)
Ways to Eat Dates
Date balls
My Nourish book has a 5-minute brownie date ball recipe that is divine! (pictured above!). These is such a fun way to get lots of minerals and copper especially, into a fun small snack.
Smoothies
Dates make a wonderful smoothie sweetener! Just use a high powered blender to break them up fully, and use a softer variety like large medjool dates!
Dates and butter, of course!
This is such an uncomplicated snack, and I love that! No prep, little clean-up; just remove the date seed and open/flatten the date a bit, use a butter knife to cut a small pat of salted butter, and put one pat on each date. Done!
My Fudgey Date Brownies that are the BEST EVER.
This is a recipe that used to be in my meal plans that have now phased out but I have tweaked it over the years to be an incredible brand-new DELICIOUS and perfect version. Gluten-free and whole foods with no refined sugar!You can download that recipe, here!
Happy Nourishing this week, and go get a date in! 😉
Fallon
