Dates…“The Mother Cake”
who knew that such a small fruit could pack such a powerful punch? a fruit that isn’t that well known or consumed in the west.
have you ever heard of a date? if not, let me tell you all about it.
the origins of dates can be traced back to north africa and the middle east and date back to millions of years ago. in the middle east, they are considered to be a delicacy and i consider them to be the national food. my father lives in the united arab emirates and when asked to bring back dates he was inundated with a diverse range of varieties and a plethora of flavors. considering that date palm trees require arid climates and almost like desert like conditions, it makes sense that they would thrive in the middle east.
their scientific name, phoenix dactylifera, hails from the greek area known as phoenicia where the date palm grows abundantly. dactylifera refers to the natural finger like shape of the date fruit itself. there are thousands of varieties but in the west we mainly consume only two types medjool and deglet noor. in my area, the former is the most prevalent and readily available.
known for the extremely sweet taste, dates have stages of ripeness or sweetness. when they first ripen they are actually juicy, crunchy and not as sweet. as they progress through the stages they get drier and sweeter until they are sold at their sweetest of stages. because of their unique sweetness, they have come to be known as the “cake of the poor” in some regions.
these ancient power packed fruits are so high in nutrition they are able to compete with needing to be a staple food like rice, grains or potatoes. dates are high in key nutrients and minerals such as carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, minerals, vitamin B complex, calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium to name a few.
just one pitted medjool date contains:
total carbohydrate 18.0 g
protein 0.4g
vitamin a 35.8 IU
vitamin k 0.6 mcg
vitamin b6 0.1 mg
folate 3.6 mcg
choline 2.4 mg
dietary fiber 1.6g
calcium 15.4mg
iron 0.2 mg
magnesium 13.0 mg
phosphorus 14.9 mg
potassium 167 mg
sodium 0.2 mg
i italicized certain nutrients as they are key nutrients for pregnancy for all my mamas-to-be out there. i consumed at minimum three dates per day in a smoothie prior to pregnancy and steadily increased that number throughout my pregnancy; primarily for the folate and calcium.
these little babies pack a mean punch
high in disease-fighting antioxidants
promote brain health
promote spontaneous, natural labor
natural sweetener
supports the prevention of bone-related conditions like osteoporosis
assist with blood sugar regulation
lowers cholestrol
strengthens the nervous system
promotes and aids in digestion
tell me this isn’t a fruit you should be consuming at all points, stages and changes in your life?
for more information on how this beautiful, ancient superfruit supports a healthy pregnancy and birthing time, head over to my maternal wisdom library!
