Why Eat Dates in Pregnancy + 5 Delicious Date Recipes

What if I told you that you could eat a single food in the last weeks of pregnancy that may increase your likelihood of spontaneous labor, increase your cervical dilation and effacement upon admission, decrease the likelihood of Pitocin use in labor, and might cut your active labor time nearly in HALF? If you’re in your third trimester, I sense your ears perking up right about now. Maybe so! Consuming date fruit appears to help in all of these areas and more.

If diabetes is not a factor in your pregnancy, eating 6 date fruits per day starting at about 36 weeks may help prepare your body for labor. Because dates are very high in sugar, it may not be recommended to consume dates in this manner if you have a hard time managing your blood glucose levels. As always, we encourage you to reach out to your medical care provider with questions on if this is a safe option for you.

If you are looking to increase your date fruit consumption at the end of pregnancy, you may be wondering about date recipes. I’ve polled our team and am happy to share 5 delectable date recipes with you!

1 | JUDY KEY’S FAMILY DATE BARS

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped English Walnuts

• 1 cup chopped dates

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1/3 cup flour

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Spread mixture into a well-greased & floured 8” x 13” metal pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

4. Cool 10 minutes and remove by cutting in half & removing with a spatula.

Special Notes:

• It is very hard to get out of pan!

• Don’t over-bake!

2| DATE FRUIT SMOOTHIE, INSPIRED BY CAITLIN ARMIJO AND MJ MONTOYA

Ingredients:

• 6 date fruits, pitted

• 1/2 cup coconut milk (from can)

• 1/4 cup salted crunch almond butter

• A handful of ice cubes

• 1 cup whole milk

Optional Ingredients:

• Spoonfuls of unsweetened cocoa powder, or Ovaltine

• Frozen banana

Directions:

1. Pit dates if necessary.

2. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smoothe!

3. Pour in a glass and enjoy!

3 | COCONUT DATE ROLLS, INSPIRED BY BEBE BUTLER

Ingredients:

• Pitted Date Fruits

• Shredded Coconut

Directions:

1. Place Dates in a food processor and pulse until sticky ball forms.

2. Roll dates into bite-sized balls.

3. Roll date balls in shredded coconut to cover.

4. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:

• You can make these when you’d like to eat them, or make a larger batch for leftovers!

4 | BACON-WRAPPED DATES

Ingredients:

• 18 date fruits, pitted

• Pinches of cream cheese (approximate 1 in by 1/4 inch)

• 18 Whole almonds

• ~6 pieces of bacon, cut into thirds

Directions:

1. Stuff a piece of cream cheese and an almond inside each date fruit.

2. Wrap date in bacon.

3. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

4. Remove to a paper towel and serve!

Notes:

• You can secure the bacon with a toothpick if desired.

• You may remove cream cheese if dairy intolerance.

• Half or double the recipe as desired.

5 | DATE FUDGE BY KATRINA KIAPOS

We recently shared this recipe on our blog!