What are dates & are they healthy?
To answer the question “are dates healthy?”, let’s take a closer look at them. Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree and the majority of them sold in the US today are dried (you can tell by the wrinkled skin if a date is dried). Since they’re typically dried, their calorie content is higher than most fresh fruit. So are dates good for you?
The flesh is low in fat and protein but rich in sugar, vitamins, and minerals, and high in dietary fiber. Dates are also a good source of antioxidants.
Sugar: dates contain fructose and glucose, both naturally occurring sugars
Minerals: dates contain potassium, magnesium, selenium, copper, manganese
Vitamins: dates contain vitamin B complex and vitamin C
Fiber: dates contain insoluble dietary fiber (which slows digestion and helps with blood
sugar control, dates are also a natural laxative)
Antioxidants: dates are a source of carotenoids and phenolics
A brief history of dates and Coachella Valley-
So how did this superfood become such a staple of Coachella Valley? In the late 1800s date seeds and offshoots were imported from Egypt, Algeria, and the Persian Gulf to the US. And in 1904 the USDA established an experimental agricultural station in Coachella Valley dedicated to cultivating dates.
In the decades that followed, Coachella Valley’s date crop production grew from 100,000 pounds in 1919 to 48 million pounds in 1955. Today, 85% of the US date production comes from Coachella Valley. The arid climate and high heat of the Coachella Valley provided ideal conditions to produce high-quality dates.
Healthy date recipes
Dates are very sweet and taste a bit like caramel. Their most well-known recipe is the famous date shake- ‘The Palm Springs Date Shake’ even has its own recipe on Bon Appetit!
Traditional Date Shake Recipe:
- ¼ Cup Walnuts
- ½ Cup Dates
- 1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream
- Ice
Healthy Date Shake Recipe:
- 2 Frozen Bananas
- 4 Dates
- 1 Cup Milk Alternative
- Dash Cinnamon
Here are some other healthy recipes using dates, and tips for cooking with dates instead of sugar:
Dates as a sugar substitute
The best way to substitute dates for white sugar is to make a date paste. Mix dates with water (or milk/ alternative) in a blender, add sea salt and/or vanilla to taste. Then replace sugar with date paste in a 1:1 ratio.
This sugar substitute works well for cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and really any baked goods.
Dates as a natural sweetener
You can also use whole pitted dates to make healthy snack bars, superfoods, or energy balls, or to add to smoothies. Whole dates can be blended into sweetening sauces, salad dressings, or marinades, too.
Peanut Butter Cup Energy Balls:
- Dates
- Peanut Butter (or other nut butter)
- Chia Seeds (sub flax or hemp if you prefer)
- Oats
- Dark Chocolate
Combine all ingredients, roll into raw dough balls, refrigerate and consume as-is. Easy!
Ways to Experience Dates in Palm Springs-
If you’re in the neighborhood, it’s worth a visit to the date-mecca of Coachella Valley. Stop by Indio, Joshua Tree, Palm Desert, 29 Palms, or Palm Springs, they’ll all have date shakes for sale. The Coachella Valley has many date shake shops along Highway 111.
If you want to learn more about the history of dates in Coachella Valley, and how date farms operate, try a Palm Springs date farm tour. Sam Cobb Farms offers tours of the date farm in addition to tastings. Established in 2002, they are a family farm that grows and sells fresh Medjool dates. Sam leads the tours himself and is a bit of a legend in dateland.
And finally, Windmill Market- a small mini-market in North Palm Springs- claims to have the “Best Date Shake in the Desert” along with other local treats.
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