Food of the Week: Dates
Through most of this series, I've talked about fresh fruits and vegetables, but I really wanted to get a dried fruit in. We all know how hard it is to get to the grocery store regularly when you're dealing with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and the beauty of dates is that they'll keep in the pantry for a very long time.
Dates are also one of the best sources of potassium, with more than double what you get from a banana. Potassium is one of the hardest minerals to get enough of in your diet -- the recommended daily allowance is 3,500 mg, and some nutrition experts recommend even more. Bananas are considered potassium rich, with just 4oo mg. Meanwhile, you can get 960 mg from one cup of chopped, pitted dates.
Potassium isn't generally on the recommended list of supplements for us, so it's easy to overlook its importance. I'd never given it a lot of thought. However, once I learned that potassium supplementation is generally dangerous, it made more sense -- no one's recommending it for us, because they don't recommend it for anyone. (The amount in your multi-vitamin is considered safe, but check the label -- it's probably only a tiny percentage of what you need.)
Potassium is essential for muscle function, as well as cardiac, skeletal and digestive health. When you've got a chronic illness that involves painful muscle spasms, possible cardiac abnormalities, puts you at risk for osteoporosis, and is usually accompanied by irritable bowel syndrome, those are all benefits you need. We're also prone to excessive sweat and malabosorption, which can put you at risk for potassium deficiency.
I've always liked dates, but they're something I tend to forget about in between the occasional bag. I'm trying to keep them on hand more often, though, because they're great for a quick snack. This might sound strange, but they're really good with peanut butter -- my kids even love them that way. They're also good in salads and other recipes.
Have you found a way to get more dates into your diet? How do you like them? Leave your comments below!
Learn more or join the conversation!
NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
- Food of the Week Series
- Cooking Made Easier + Readers Respond
- Grocery Shopping Tips + Readers Respond
Photo © George Doyle/Getty Images
I make a rice dish with dates in my small crock pot and eat it for lunches or snacks. You can make a whole bunch at once and freeze it in serving size portions to eat when you don’t feel like cooking. Adjust the ingredients to your liking:
Brown rice
water
chopped dates
nutmeg
honey, sugar, or splenda
After it’s done, add a splash of milk or lactaid to make it creamy.
Dates are also great in oatmeal, cookies, cold cereal or as an emergency snack in your purse for those hungry moments.
omg, I can’t keep dates in the house because I’ll eat the whole bag in a sitting. They are CANDY!
S, I am the same way……I absolutely LOVE them, but no way can I eat only a few and they are really high in calories….so I just don’t buy them
Shawna: The only ingredient missing from your recipe is pine nuts or chopped pecans–or any other nut that you enjoy and are not allergic to. Thanks for sharing. =^)
I know these aren’t very nutritious but are OH SO GOOD for a dessert or a snack!
Date Squares!! A fresh date square with a cold glass of skim milk! Yummy!!
The Medjool dates are sooo good. They are huge in size, sweet, and very soft, never dry. I can get them in the grocery store, but if you can’t find them, Whole Foods has them.
Dates can be great as a sugar substitute too!
One of my favourite recipes is almond ‘fudge’ that is sweetened with dates by soaking them (6) in 1/2 cup of almond (or soy) milk overnight, then mixing it all up in 1 cup of almond butter, 1/2 cup of carob, and 1/2 cup or shredded coconut. Yum! A completely guilt free snack or dessert.
Thank you Adrienne SO much for your articles on foods!
Getting enough potassium from food is always challenging. It is good to know that dates contain such high amounts of this essential mineral and I will be adding more of them into my diet, as well. Speaking of potassium…in a previous article about bananas, I was glad to see that I was on the right track by keeping them around and eating, at least, one daily. When they get too ripe for my taste, I have a quick, low fat and low-cholesterol banana bread recipe, made with Splenda sweetener and whole-grain white flour that is always a treat to have around for a healthy snack. Perhaps, adding some chopped dates to the recipe with a decreased amount of sweetener could be an option to increase the potassium boost! Does anyone know if the effects of cooking or baking reduce the potency of potassium? What other food suggestions can one consume to increase potassium intake?
Recently, I have noticed some extra, ‘weird’ spasms in my feet and legs since the heat of the summer has set in and know the more of this mineral I get the less swelling and lower limb spasms I have. Also, thank you Shawna for the rice and date recipe…going to try that soon! Here is my favorite recipe that does not use sugar creamed together with high fat butter…
SUPER QUICK NANA-NUT BREAD
1-1/3 cups whole-grain white flour, ˝ cup SPLENDA, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, pinch of salt, 1-1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 2), 1 TBSP. canola oil
1/3 cup reduced-fat buttermilk, 2 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I always add more + will try adding some dates with it too!)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9”x 5” loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Blend the dry ingredients and walnuts in a large mixing bow. Set aside. Add oil, buttermilk and vanilla to the mashed bananas. Mix well. Pour banana mixture into dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until rich brown and the center is set.
NOTE: In a convection oven decrease the temperature to 340 degrees and the baking time to 40 minutes.
Dates from the TREE are what are filled with potassium. Unfortunaelty they are seasonal and the baking dates no good as are full of preservatives which precludes them as ‘the correct date to eat’. During clinical nutrition trials, it was found that tree dates contain MELATONIN and so was recommended to have a HALF a large tree date before sleep. That was 4 years ago. Now, DENTISTRY comes into play if dental hygiene such as brushing teeth before sleep, flossing, using natural sea salt to wrinse the mouth, because the fresh date has such a high SUGAR count (300 kj’s per date)- our tooth decay count has risen (esp in those of us who do not have enough calcium, vit D3 and Folic acid with Vit K2 to precurse the turnover bone calcium). So dates are not that simple! It is recommended to have the half a date before sleep with the dental hygiene, but if you see weight jumping, cut the date down to 3 times a weel, Personal trainers recommend, along with clinitions, to have a quarter of thr date with some in-between-meals eg nuts, and takethe other quarter 4-6 hrs later. Sharon Levin http://www.fibromyalgiasa.co.za PS Potasssium in FM and CFS is most NB – SOLGAR make a 1-a-day- tablet to stop any dizziness related to the muscles, heart, brain, low O2, and an equilizer for anyone still taking SALT eroneously of with knowledfge, in their diets. Potassium and Magnesium salts are always outweighed by the natural amounts of sodium in out cells. Beware of adding sodium of any sort with these illnesses and adrenal fatigue!
I have been off line for a long time for elbow surgery….I am very surprised at the use of fake sugars..any brand… they are bad for the nervous system…. heard taht from people it happened to and
from a variety of literature.
I love dates and have a few every morning in my oatmeal. I mix 1/3 cup of oatmeal with 1 cup of water, a few chopped dates and some walnuts or pecans and a pinch of salt. Cook on high in your microwave for 3 minutes and you have your omega 3 fat potasium and iron plus fiber. Its a great breakfast and way to get yourself going in the morning.