Use this Nutritious Sweetener to Make Easy Holiday Treats

Dates, the fruits that you get from date palm trees, have become very popular sweeteners for several reasons; they’re natural whole foods, and are arguably the best natural sweetener available, as they actually offer some decent nutritional value compared to other sweeteners. They’re also versatile, easy to use and taste delicious.

What do dates offer in terms of nutrients?

According to the USDA food database, 100g of pitted dates can provide 2.5g of protein, 77.5g of carbohydrates, 7.5g of fibre, 50mg calcium, and 600mg of potassium – bite-for-bite, this is three times as much potassium as bananas! Popular varieties like medjool and deglet noor both contain 62mg phosphorus, which works closely with calcium to maintain bone health. With the exception of calcium, all of these nutrients are found higher in dates than maple syrup, of which offers about the same amount of sugar. And honey, which is higher in sugar, is lower all across the board in these nutrients.

The most versatile way to make use of dates as a sweetener, is by making them into a paste. In a paste form, you can easily replace maple syrup or honey in recipes that call for either one. Soak dates overnight in water and then blend them in a blender or food processor with a little bit of the soaking water to make date paste!

You can also try this recipe with whole dates for the holidays!

Healthy Homemade Chocolate Turtles

This healthy take on the classic holiday “turtles” chocolate recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It is simple and quick to make, and fun for kids to get involved in assembly!

Using whole dates instead of the traditional caramel sauce is a great way to lower your refined sugar, as well as benefit from a boost of fibre and important minerals like potassium. Dates are a great source of easily metabolized fuel for your body, and these healthier treats can help to keep you feeling great through all your holiday endeavours.

Ingredients

8 whole, soft medjool dates

16 raw pecan halves

½ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

1 tsp coconut oil

course or flaked sea salt, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1.Melt chocolate and coconut oil together over a double boiler on the stove, while stirring frequently to create a smooth chocolate sauce. Allow to cool for a few minutes and thicken a bit while preparing your dates and pecans.

2.Prepare dates by carefully slicing them in half lengthwise and removing the pit.

3.Press a pecan half into the inside of each halved medjool date.

4.Top with approximately 1 tsp of melted chocolate to cover the tops and sides, but avoid allowing the chocolate to pool around the date too much.

5.Sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired.

6.Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to set or until chocolate coating is firm.

7.Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve. These will keep in the fridge for up to a week or a month in the freezer. Good luck storing them as they are so delicious, they tend to disappear quickly!

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Recipe created by: Heather Mowat, C.H.N.C. Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant; Community Development Coordinator at SPUD.ca/Blush Lane Organic Market

Busy over the holidays? You can get all of the ingredients for this recipe plus many more grocery items, with free delivery right to your door from SPUD.ca! Pay with gift cards purchased at SPUD.ca/communityand a portion of your purchase will support the Alberta Diabetes Foundation.