Dates are considered a super-food because of their potential to protect against free radical damage.
They are rich with vitamins and minerals, provide a nice boost in energy (they are the perfect snack if you need a quick pick-me-up) as well as providing a healthy dose of fiber. Fiber helps to fill you up and prevents over-eating as well as being good for digestion. They also work at relieving constipation and the nicotinic content in them helps alleviate pain from intestinal disorders and can even help cure and prevent them.
Just 4 dates provided 15 percent of many important minerals; potassium, magnesium, copper and selenium as well as iron. They are a good source of carbohydrates and also provide vitamins A and B-complex in smaller amounts.
Around for many thousands of years, grown on a Date Palm, they are gaining in popularity again even though they are not the most appealing food initially to the “eye,”…looking somewhat like a large shriveled raisin, because they offer many health benefits and are the perfect “sweetener” ingredient to use when making raw desserts or treats to replace white sugar.
Easy to find in your favorite grocery or healthy food market like other fresh foods buy organic to avoid the pesticide residue.
If you are keeping track of your daily calories then be aware of your portion size as dates are concentrated energy so it does not take many.
For more exciting and healthy raw dessert recipes and treats visit:
“100 Healthy Raw Snacks and Treats”…
Here’s a great date recipe for a super healthy snack or even as dessert:
- ½ cup pine nuts (these are seeds not nuts)
- ½ cup dates (soaked 30 minutes and drained)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- ½ cup any sort of nut butter for filling
- Place all ingredients (except nut butter) into a food processor and blend until a sticky dough is formed. Be careful not to over process. Turn mixture out on to a tray covered with parchment paper and flatten into a square shape around 6-8 inches square.
- Place in fridge for a few hours then spread half the flattened dough with any sort of nut butter. Flip over the uncovered part of the dough on to the nut butter covered part.
- Cut into bite sized sandwich bites.
- Enjoy!
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