Don't go crazy just because it's healthy. But, thanks to date’s lower-glycemic status, fiber, trace amounts of protein, and being unprocessed and coming in a natural whole form, dates are still a solid bet in sugar alternatives, just as long as, again, you check for added sugars when you buy the dates and moderate. One thing you need to note here though, of course, like with most foods especially ones with considerable sugar content, even though it's natural sugar, dates still have a higher sugar content relative to the rest of their nutritional value, so moderation is key.įurthermore, dates - particularly Medjool - are still naturally quite high in carbohydrates and natural sugar per tiny fruit. The date palm, native to the Middle East, was mentioned in the bible as the 'tree of life,' and the word 'date' comes from the Greek 'daktulos,' which means 'finger.' Are Dates Sugar-Free? There's no processing and they're never physically or chemically dried.ĭates grow in large bunches which can weigh as much as 40 pounds. Medjool dates are harvested from the date palm, cleaned, sorted, and packaged right away. Most people think of dates as a dried fruit because they're thinking of the dates you buy in the baking aisle. You can simply blend dates up to make sugar-free caramel and candies, or mix them up with other wholesome ingredients to fudge-like desserts like brownies! There are so many scrumptious healthy desserts that can be created with dates. Not only are dates nutritious, but work as an amazing natural binding agent due to their sticky texture and add a fantastic natural sweetness to any dessert. However, when I decided to cut the sugar in my diet and started relying only on natural sweetness, I realized just how amazing, delicious, and versatile dates are for healthy baking. I hated dried fruit, and I thought they looked nasty and would taste like their almost doppelganger cousins, prunes. A date, the small, energy-boosting fruit is a good source of fiber, and important vitamins, and minerals like potassium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B6, and they’re easily digested and help to metabolize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.ĭates were something I never ate when I was a child.

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