We all have that one person in our life who gets along well with everyone, who is loved by all because of his/her many admirable qualities, a person everyone wishes to befriend.If that person were a fruit, it would be a DATE! Wonder why? Here are some fun Date facts.
1. There is hardly anyone who is allergic to Dates.
2. They have a lot of benefits to our health.
3. They can be had for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime in between. They can be baked, chopped, eaten raw or stuffed.
In this blog, we are going to discuss the many ways how we can integrate this humble fruit into our daily diet because it’s about time we consume Dates daily.
1. Pop them up as it is
Thankfully, Dates do not require peeling, cutting, de-seeding, breaking or any of that drama. One can easily buy dates online and simply pop up a few dates whenever they feel like; watch out for that one single seed though. They are satiating, healthy and tasty as well.
Dates can even be served alongside coffee, tea etc. to add an extra dash of sweetness.
2. Smoothies, Shakes, Juices, etc
Due to their natural sweetness, one can simply blend them in a blender with milk and other fruits to make delicious shakes and smoothies. Sounds like a healthy way to put milk down to your children’s tummy, no?
3. Jams, Chutney, Pickles, sauces, syrups – An alternative natural sweetener
Just like Maple syrup and raw honey, one can simply pour some Date syrup over their pancakes or ice-creams. Similarly, jams, chutneys, pickles and sauces made of Falcon Dates can be stored in air-tight containers and used when required.
Merely whipping a Date paste and applying it to your chapatis can make them utterly delicious too.
Here is a recipe to a sweet and tangy tasting Tamarind-Date chutney and sweet and spicy Date-Chilly pickle.
4. A pre and post gym snack
Granola bars or oatmeal bars with Falcon Date stuffing can make a great pre-gym snack. The calories in Dates can provide good amount of energy while working out. Similarly, dates can be used in protein shakes to meet the post workout protein requirement.
Quite often, dietitians also recommend their clients who wish to lose weight and have a major sweet tooth to eat Dates to kill their sweet cravings.
Here’s a link to the healthy Date and granola Bar recipe.
5. Bake them up!
Muffins, cakes, breads, cakes, pastries, cupcakes, biscuits, cookies, tarts, croissants and probably every baked item you can think of; Dates have a great compatibility with almost all bakery products. Next time you ready your oven for a baking session; do invite some Falcon dates to join in the preparations.
Do check out the mouthwatering cupcake, muffin and cake recipes in our recipe section.
6. Probably the best appetizers around
Muslims end their days fast during Ramdan fast by consuming dates. Ayurveda doctors too recommend eating some Dates (usually with a spoonful of ghee) a couple of minutes before you have your actual meal. Dates are known to kill the germs in your stomach and pave way to smooth digestion. They are also known to pacify your tummy in a way that you don’t over eat. They also increase the bowel movements, thus preventing constipation and other diseases concerning indigestion, can you think of a better appetizer now?
Merely dipping Falcon Date in hot chocolate and putting up skewers on top can make it a simple and sweet appetizer to be served. Want something fancier, here is a recipe for Date-Almond Wontons.
7. Desserts
Kheer, pudding, laddos, halwa or simple chocolate dipped Dates can make amazing deserts. Falcon Date ice creams too are something one will relish till the last bite. As your guests prepare to leave, make sure that the sweetness lingers on their tongue!
We hope you all loved reading this blog just as much as we loved writing it for you. Watch out this space for some more lovely recipes and blogs about Dates. You can connect to us on Instagram, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter and visit our website www.khajur.in.