We are talking about the kind of dates you eat, although if your elderly loved one is single maybe they would enjoy going out on dates, too (smile). Dates are not a commonly thought of fruit for everyday eating. Traditionally they are used for making date squares which might be found at wedding receptions or other gatherings where something is being celebrated. Occasionally you might come across someone making a loaf of date bread.
What’s in a date?
But if you knew just how much the humble date can promote brain, heart and digestive health, dates might find themselves on the menu a lot more often. This lowly fruit has been cultivated and harvested since about 6,000 B.C. It is one of the sweetest fruits and comes in several different varieties. Usually, dates are eaten dried and resemble raisins but are larger.
Dates pack a nutritional punch! They provide rich doses of fiber, potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium and vitamin B6. One caution though for diabetics, they are also high in sugar so check with your dietician before putting dates on your menu.
Dried dates are fairly soft when purchased in bags rather than in blocks of chopped dates. The blocks of dates are solid and quite dense; they work well for cooking recipes that contain dates. The bags are loose dates that can be taken out one at a time and enjoyed.
In home care providers help seniors eat healthier meals
A home care provider can help ensure your elderly loved one eats a balanced diet rich in the wholesome foods he or she needs for optimal health, and still stay within any dietary restrictions they may have. Elderly people who live alone can get in a rut where they just don’t feel like cooking or they are just too lonely to eat alone and so they end up eating only a peanut butter and jam sandwich night after night.
Dates are delicious any way you eat them
There are several ways that dates could be incorporated into the menu. They can be used as a snack food to quench a sweet tooth. They are healthier than candy and other sweets, and can be eaten one or two at a time straight out of the bag.
Dates can be incorporated into many recipes – quick breads, muffins, cookies, squares, bars, etc. Dates can also be blended into a smoothie; because of their sweetness, there may be no need to add honey.