Are dates healthy? Or not?
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Dates have been eaten for thousands of years, especially in the Arab world, but nowadays they are suddenly insanely popular. The reason is very simple: dates are simply super tasty, and they have countless healthy properties. All the more reason to enthusiastically incorporate them into your diet, in short. So are dates healthy?
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Yes, but does that also mean that you can eat them unlimited? Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Today we will tell you all about the pros and cons of these fruits. We also give you a few delicious recipes at the end of this blog that you can get started right away!
Why are dates healthy?
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Let's start at the beginning: what makes dates healthy? The reason is very simple: they simply contain a lot of important nutrients. To begin with, they are rich in fiber, with which they positively influence, among other things, the digestion and intestinal health. In addition, they contain significant amounts of essential micronutrients.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu
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45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad
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30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade
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30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
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Dates are rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and K - quite a collection, in other words. They also contain no less than 20% of your RDA of potassium, a mineral that keeps your blood pressure healthy per 100 grams. Copper, zinc and magnesium are other minerals found in dates.
Dates as a sugar substitute
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Because dates have healthy properties and are sweet, they are often used as a sugar substitute. Their sticky structure also helps: you can easily make sweet bars with it, for example! However, it is important to note dates as a â € healthyâ € ™ sweetener. Yes, dates are significantly healthier than refined sugars, but that's because they contain more healthy nutrients.
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They still contain a lot of sugars. You should therefore not eat too much of these kinds of natural sweeteners to keep your blood sugar level stable. Keep this in mind when preparing recipes with dates to 'avoid' the sugar!
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake
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20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat
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40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce
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15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Dried or fresh dates?
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Incidentally, for the sugar content it also makes a difference whether you use dried or fresh dates. Dried dates, like all dried fruit, are more concentrated than their fresh variety. This means that they contain relatively more sugars: 60 grams per 100 grams, compared to 33 grams in fresh dates. Of course, the other nutrients become more concentrated as well, but it's a significant difference nonetheless!
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Always pay attention to which variant is meant by a recipe. Usually it will be dried dates; the fresh ones are difficult to get in the Netherlands. If you do go for fresh dates, you will probably find them the fastest in a toko or Turkish supermarket.
Quick and simple recipes with dates
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Dates are of course known as a sweetener, but you can do many more. A few suggestions:
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20 minMain dishTasty vine tomato, (olive oil, fresh basil, onion, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, zucchini spaghetti, pumpkin spaghetti, mini buffalo mozzarella,lukewarm pumpkin and zucchini spaghetti
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15 minSide dishtraditional olive oil, curry powder, wheat flour, coconut milk, sambal oelek, chicken broth tablet, water, fresh mango,curry sauce with mango
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30 minMain dishtraditional olive oil, lean ground beef, frozen Mexican wok vegetables, salsa sauce mild, taco shell, grated young cheese, creme fraiche,Mexican vegetable in tacos
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95 minMain dishmaize chicken, lemon, coarse sea salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme, zucchini, tomatoes (small to), black olives without pit,provençal chicken with zucchini and tomatoes
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Love dates? Then the date recipes on our FitChef platform are also something for you!
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Love dates? Then the date recipes on our FitChef platform are probably something for you!