He date It is a fruit that is obtained from the Phoenix palm species. Although it may seem like it, she is not dehydrated, but she does share the nutritional properties of this type of food.
They are native to the Middle East and North Africa. In 2020, Egypt was the top producer of dates, followed by Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Their variety is almost infinite, which is why they are classified as soft, semi-dry and dry. The most common, and the one that is usually found in Spanish supermarkets, is the medjool date, which is also grown in other countries such as the United States or Mexico.
However, in recent years this fruit has experienced a real boom having been heralded as the healthiest alternative to sugar.
In fact, there are already some ‘realfooders’ products on the market (a movement against ) that use date paste as the main ingredient.
For example, we can find on the shelves of any hypermarket a hazelnut and cocoa cream with dates, wholemeal cookies, also with dates, or croissants, in which date paste is also used instead of white sugar.
But let’s go in parts.
What is the nutritional value of dates?
dates are a fruit very rich in iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Without forgetting that they are an important source of fiber (100 grams provide 7.1 grams) and energy (288 calories). The Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN) points out that “as vitamins to be highlighted, dates are a source of niacin, which, like the aforementioned minerals, also contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system.”
And here comes the crux of the matter.
A single date has up to 65% natural sugar (glucose and fructose). We are talking about intrinsic sugar that is present in fresh whole fruits and vegetables. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that sugar intake be less than 10% of total caloric intake.
Important: this recommendation does not apply to intrinsic sugarsonly to free sugars, that is, those added to food or naturally present in certain products such as honey, fruit juices or fruit purees.
Are recipes sweetened with date paste healthier?
Date paste, made with dates and water, is all the rage. It has become the way to sweeten that triumphs among those who want to take care of the line or bet on the consumption of natural and local products.
As the nutritionist explains to this portal Desy Montero (), dates are a product that, nutritionally, are more interesting when compared to sugar. This fruit provides, in addition to sugar, other benefits for our body such as fiber or minerals, but its consumption should be sporadic.
No, brown sugar is not healthier.
A very popular and installed belief in the thinking of many is that brown sugar is the healthiest alternative to white sugar. However, nutritionist Desy Montero clarifies that “on a nutritional level it is the same product, although the chemical process of white sugar is less well tolerated by our body.” Regarding the energy contribution, they are practically the same. “Brown sugar does not sweeten the same as white, so we will have to add more to equalize the sweetness.”
“There is no comparison between refined sugar and date paste, but even so it should not be part of our daily diet.” And for that, put this example:
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“Imagine that every morning I have homemade muffins for breakfast, made with whole wheat flour, olive oil and date paste. In the end, even though they are trying to replace it with a healthier product, a healthy diet is displaced by one rich in sugars”.
And it is clear that a food cooked at home, and which we now find in many hypermarkets under the ‘homemade’ label and which may lead us to believe that it is healthier, has better nutritional properties “but it depends on what use is made and what percentage it represents in our feeding”.
“Another very different thing is to think that since we are going to substitute date paste for sugar, we can have desserts or sweets every day, because it gives rise to unlimited consumption and this is a big mistake.”