I know that I’m going to get a lot of heat for this, but I can’t keep it to myself anymore: I love dates. Yes, the oversized raisins that no one talks about. The shrively nuggets of sweet creaminess remiscient, somehow, of vanilla, butter, and magic. At least, that’s what they taste like to me.
Dates are incredible for your body. Everyone knows about the health benefits of kale, avocado, sweet potatoes, fish, and the like, but why is nobody talking about my friend, the date? Dates are packed full of the nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants that every health nut is crazy about and can even be used as a sweetener, in place of sugar. I know that if more people knew how wholesome dates are, the whole world would feel the same way about them as I do.
Not only are dates the wrinkled warriors of well-being that your body craves, but they are so much more versatile than they get credit for. I know I am ahead of my time, and that is why I am taking it upon myself to briefly inspire you with some date-based eats.
1. Eating them as a snack, straight up, when I’m craving something sweet. Medjool dates are best for this, but many people can’t handle the flavor (yet) of a date on its own.
2. Blended up in a smoothie! This is where the sweetness of dates comes in handy. Use a handful to sweeten up your smoothie. They will compliment the flavor of just about any fruits but not change the overall flavor much at all, so have fun with it.
3. Energy balls. Chopping these bad boys up and adding them to homemade energy balls is one of the best ideas that I’ve ever had. Simply combine your base ingredients, such as peanut butter, oats, coconut, and flax seed, then add your chopped, pitted dates to the mix for the texture and flavor combination your homemade energy balls have always needed, obviously.
4. I’ve heard that they are good wrapped with bacon but I am not actually a fan of bacon so I will not comment further on this.
5. Baked goods. I think this is pretty much the way that most of the world knows dates, and for good reason. Any sweet bread, muffin, cake, etc. is made better - nay, perfect - with the addition of these little golden delicacies. Blend them up into a paste for a more inconspicuous appearance, or roughly chop if you are like me and you look forward to biting into one of soft chunks of caramel-y goodness.
6. As an addition to a charcuterie board for a formidable appetizer. Dates are so mildly sweet that they compliment salty snacks like you would not believe. Meats and cheeses were practically invented to be eaten with dates (please do not fact check this claim).
Now, because this wasn’t meant to be a list of uses for dates, I’ll stop there, but I could keep going.
Dates are also incredible for your heart and soul. Let them into your life as a permanent pantry staple and you will begin to see that dates exist to make you happy. They are unapologetically impressionable and ready to be added to any lifestyle, palette, or political party. Now go ahead and go get yourself some dates, you know you want to.