What are dates?
Dates are a fruit that come from the date palm tree, which is native to the Middle East, although they are also now grown in the Mediterranean, Asia, the USA and Mexico.
Dates grow in large clusters which hang from the top of these palm trees. As they ripen, their skins turn brown and wrinkle as more and more moisture leaves the fruit. This is when they are usually harvested by hand, either by someone climbing up the palm or using a mechanical lift.
When picked, they resemble a large shrivelled raisin. Despite their appearance they still contain some moisture. Whole dates have a stone in the middle that should be removed before eating, or you can buy pitted dates.
Dried and fresh dates are available year round, but the fresh type are best between November and January.
There are lots of different varieties of the fruit, but the medjool date is one of the best known, as it has a sweeter and stickier taste and texture than others.
Health benefits of dates may include:
- Rich in antioxidants
- High in fibre, so supports gut health
- Contains magnesium and calcium
- Help facilitate a natural birth
- Date syrup is a lower-GI sweetener
Nutritional profile of dates
A 30g serving of dates (dried) provides:
- 81 kcals / 345KJ
- 1g Protein
- 0.1g Fat
- 20.4g Carbohydrates
- 20.4g Sugar
- 1.6g Fibre
- 210mg Potassium
A serving of 30g of dates counts as one of your five-a-day.