Dates

dates

Dates are an ideal food for athletes and other adventurous and active people, as the high potassium and fruit sugar content is perfect for refueling the brain and muscles, which rely on glucose to power you through exercise. They’re also ideal for people dealing with diabetes and hypoglycemia, because they deliver vital glucose to the liver-addressing the very glucose loss that’s responsible for blood sugar issues.

RAW DATE GRANOLA

This recipe is perfect for anyone on the go. Make a big batch and store it in a jar in the fridge for anytime snacking. The sweet and salty combo will be a major hit with the whole family. It can be eaten by itself as a snack, or on top of any fruit or smoothie bowl.

2 cups dates, pitted
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Process all the ingredients in a food processor until roughly combined. Store the granola in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1 to 2 servings

PRIMARY MICRO NUTRIENTS	Iron, Magnesium, Copper, Manganese, Potassium, Vitamin B5
SECONDARY MICRO NUTRIENTS	Phosphorus, Selenium, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, Folate
NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS	Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-tumour activity (study)
FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS	Blood sugar health and preventing constipation due to high dietary fiber content (study) Preventing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes due to high anti-oxidant content Anti-Alzheimer’s – Dates may be helpful for lowering inflammation and preventing plaques from forming in the brain (study1, study2, study 3) Ease natural labor for pregnant women when consumed during the last few weeks of pregnancy (study 1, study2, study3) Natural sweetener – Dates are a healthy substitute for white sugar in recipes due to their sweet taste, nutrients, fiber and antioxidants.
NUTRITIONAL NOTES	Dates can promote bone health but these effects have not been studied sufficiently

			per 100 g		1 date, pitted = 7.1g
Nutrient	Unit	RDA		%RDA		% RDA
Water	g		20.53		1.46
Energy	kcal		282		20
Protein	g		2.45		0.17
Total lipid (fat)	g		0.39		0.03
Carbohydrate, by difference	g		75.03		5.33
Fiber, total dietary	g		8		0.6
Sugars, total	g		63.35		4.5
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	1000	39	3.9%	3	0.3%
Iron, Fe	mg	8	1.02	12.8%	0.07	0.9%
Magnesium, Mg	mg	420	43	10.2%	3	0.7%
Phosphorus, P	mg	700	62	8.9%	4	0.6%
Potassium, K	mg	470	656	139.6%	47	10.0%
Sodium, Na	mg		2		0
Zinc, Zn	mg	11	0.29	2.6%	0.02	0.2%
Copper, Cu	mg	0.9	0.206	22.9%	0.015	1.7%
Manganese, Mn	mg	2.3	0.262	11.4%	0.019	0.8%
Selenium, Se	Âµg	55	3	5.5%	0.2	0.4%
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	90	0.4	0.4%	0	0.0%
Thiamin	mg	1.2	0.052	4.3%	0.004	0.3%
Riboflavin	mg	1.3	0.066	5.1%	0.005	0.4%
Niacin	mg	16	1.274	8.0%	0.09	0.6%
Pantothenic acid	mg	5	0.589	11.8%	0.042	0.8%
Vitamin B-6	mg	1.7	0.165	9.7%	0.012	0.7%
Folate, total	Âµg	400	19	4.8%	1	0.3%
Choline, total	mg		6.3		0.4
Betaine	mg		0.4		0
Vitamin B-12	Âµg	2.4	0	0.0%	0	0.0%
Vitamin A, IU	IU	5000	10	0.2%	1	0.0%
Retinol	µg		6		0
Lutein + zeaxanthin	µg		75		5
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg		0.05		0
Tocopherol, gamma	mg		0.05		0
Tocotrienol, alpha	mg		0.01		0
Vitamin E, total	mg	15	0.11	0.7%	0	0.0%
Vitamin D	IU	600	0	0.0%	0	0.0%
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	Âµg	120	2.7	2.3%	0.2	0.2%
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g		0.032		0.002
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g		0.036		0.003
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g		0.019		0.001
Amino Acids
Tryptophan	g		0.012		0.001
Threonine	g		0.043		0.003
Isoleucine	g		0.049		0.003
Leucine	g		0.084		0.006
Lysine	g		0.066		0.005
Methionine	g		0.022		0.002
Cystine	g		0.067		0.005
Phenylalanine	g		0.05		0.004
Tyrosine	g		0.015		0.001
Valine	g		0.071		0.005
Arginine	g		0.136		0.01
Histidine	g		0.032		0.002
Alanine	g		0.083		0.006
Aspartic acid	g		0.213		0.015
Glutamic acid	g		0.359		0.025
Glycine	g		0.101		0.007
Proline	g		0.13		0.009
Serine	g		0.057		0.004
Flavonoids
Anthocyanidins
Cyanidin	mg		1.7		0.1
Flavanones
Quercetin	mg		0.9		0.1
Isoflavones
Genistein	mg		0.01		0
Total isoflavones	mg		0.01		0
Proanthocyanidin
Proanthocyanidin dimers	mg		1.8		0.1
Proanthocyanidin trimers	mg		3		0.2
Proanthocyanidin 4-6mers	mg		5.9		0.4

RDA – Recommended Dietary Amount recommendations are based upon calculations for a 40 year old very active man that I have adapted from USDA’s Dietary Intake Guidelines. Using this link you can make your own calculations