What Makes Medjool Dates The Ultimate Choice For Snacks And Smoothies

Shelf-stable fruit is a sleeper food category. Sure, you might have a box of raisins lying around from a batch of delicious oatmeal raisin cookies, but other packaged fruit may be less frequently procured. Well, you can integrate a dash of deliciously rich flavor by reaching for medjool dates. Offering a vibrant natural sweetness complemented by a dense, chewy texture, they're known as the "fruit of kings" for good reason.

With a thick, sticky flesh and a slightly wrinkled appearance, it might be easy to think medjool dates are dehydrated when they're often freshly packaged. Although stable in the pantry, they can be kept in the fridge for longer durations, offering what's often referred to as "nature's candy" at a moment's notice. And although they're enjoyable just as they are, they're especially tasty in quick and easy applications, elevating snacks, smoothies, and the like. Stuff them with peanut butter or tahini spread, and you'll have an energizing bite balanced with fat and sugar. Or simply blend dates with salt, vanilla, and plant milk, and you'll get a caramel-like foodstuff ready to flavor smoothies or top your oatmeal. Such breezy malleability makes medjool dates a worthy purchase.

Even amongst other date varieties, medjool dates offer some advantageous qualities. Their soft consistency and delectable sweetness allows them to easily complement other dishes, like a welcome dinner party guest. This is likely why dates are a staple Ramadan food, often enjoyed as the first bite after a fast.

Dates are also a wonderful addition to homemade energy bars, complementing chewy textures and flavors like citrus or banana. Especially when paired with a homemade nut butter, they yield a hearty, yet tasty homemade snack. If you're going after a savory bite, you can wrap dates in bacon or stuff them with goat cheese to create a playful contrast between salt and sugar.

Plus, unlike artificially sweetened foods, naturally sugary medjool dates contain nutrients that are beneficial to your body. A serving of just two dates offers 3 grams of fiber, an essential compound for satiation and digestion. Per gram, the dried fruit is also richer in heart, nerve, and cell-boosting potassium than bananas. By integrating medjool dates into your diet, you'll get the physical payoffs that come attached to this sweet, delectable treat.