End of Pregnancy? Try Dates!
We love dates! They’re an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber, and many beneficial nutrients, so we recommend them to just about anyone. But at 36 weeks of pregnancy, dates have extra benefits as your body gets ready for labor and birth.
Research has shown that dates help the cervix ripen. This is the process your cervix goes through to soften and prepare for labor. Women who had 6 dates a day from 36 weeks until delivery had:
higher rates of spontaneous vaginal birth (went into labor on their own and were not induced)
overall shorter labors
less postpartum bleeding
So we think it’s worth a try!
Click here or here to read relevant studies for yourself. Or here to listen to a quick summarizing video.
Sounds great but you’re not sure you’re crazy about eating a bunch of dates? Here are a few of our favorite ways to incorporate them into our days:
Smoothies
Add a few dates into your favorite smoothie. They’re naturally sweet, so play with different ingredient combinations until you find one that suits you! *Dates blend more easily if you soak them in hot water first.
Energy balls
Combine 1 cup of dates, 1-2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 cup of walnuts, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, and water as needed into a food processor or blender. You may need to stop to scrape the sides every so often. Once a sticky mixture has formed, use wet fingers to roll several small balls. You can roll the balls in extra cocoa powder, crushed nuts, hemp seeds, or shredded coconut. Freeze or refrigerate and enjoy!
Brownies
This recipe is a favorite from Splurge With Ella
1 cup of dates (pitted)
3/4 cups oat flour (which can be made by blending whole oats in your blender or food processor until you have a flour consistency)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
2 tablespoons of natural nut butter (peanut or almond butter)
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Plus chocolate chips for topping
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 4×8 pan with parchment paper. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, once water is boiling remove from heat and allow dates to soak for 10 minutes until soft.
While you are waiting for your dates to soak, add the rest of the ingredients (aside from chocolate chips) to your food processor and blend until combined. Stir in your chocolate chips.
Drain your dates and add them to the food processor and blend until evenly combined (about 30 seconds to a minute). You may want to stop periodically and scrape the sides to ensure everything is evenly combined.
Scoop out brownie batter into your prepared baking pan. The dough will be thick and sticky, but these brownies do not spread in the oven so try evenly spread the batter. Top with additional chocolate chips.
Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes or until the top no longer appears to be wet. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Dates & cheese
Slice a few dates horizontally and stuff with your favorite cheese, We find soft cheeses pair best, and you can sprinkle some crushed walnuts or pecans on top for an added crunch. *Be sure to check that any cheese you choose is pasteurized and safe for consumption while pregnant.
Give dates a try and let us know what you think!