First of all, let’s start with at the proven health benefits of this underrated fruit. The thing that stands out most about dates is not just their significant amount of digestible fiber, but their excellent nutrition profile. They are HIGH in antioxidants (flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid) plus potassium, magnesium, copper, phosphorous, calcium, manganese, iron, and vitamin B6.

And the latest research shows they also contribute to bone strength and promote brain health because they’re so efficient at reducing internal inflammation.

The one caveat to be mentioned is that since they’re dried, their calorie content is higher than most fresh fruit (similar to that of other dried fruits, such as raisins and figs). Most of the calories in dates come from carbs. The rest are from a very small amount of protein. But because they’re so exceptionally good for you, you don’t want to avoid them—just don’t over-consume.

While their health benefits are superb, I also love them for what a delicious natural sweetener they are. They are VERY sweet and also have a subtle caramel-like taste (which is highly enhanced when you freeze them). They make a great healthy substitute for white sugar in recipes due to the nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants they provide. They even beat out honey as a sugar substitute because they have less calories and a higher nutrient content.

The best way to substitute dates for white sugar is to make date paste. It is made by mixing dates with water in a blender. A rule of thumb is to replace sugar with date paste at a 1:1 ratio (if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you’ll replace it with 1 cup of date paste).

For a truly smooth paste, a high-speed blender is your best tool. But a regular blender will work, too, if your dates have been soaked in hot to boiling water (just enough to cover them) for an hour or so. It takes about 24 pitted dates to yield 2 cups of paste.

I like to keep this super delicious food on hand in our freezer. I portion it out into ice cube trays and when the cubes are solid, I pop them into plastic zippered freezer bags. These will stay fresh frozen for up to 6 months.

I’ll close my praise for dates with my encouragement—it’s worth the time and effort to learn how to use less white sugar by using more date paste—the end products are delicious and the health benefits are priceless.

And to get you started, here’s an absolutely scrumptious recipe that uses this marvelous date paste, from www.ilovedatelady.com. The Date Lady, Colleen Sundlie, says this about her recipe for a date-sweetened Samoas that only uses 4 ingredients: “This may be one of the most delish things I have ever made and is no-bake, egg-free, gluten-free!” A sweet treat that’s healthy—is life good, or what!?




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