This is the question I found myself tapping into Google yesterday, after I'd spent a pretty penny on a handful of medjool dates. Medjool Dates are enjoying buzzword status in the world of healthspiration at the moment, but how do they differ from regular dates?
Well, I taste tested a few yesterday and can tell you that they are a helluva lot sweeter, stickier and softer, which makes them a great option for recipes. They would work well in my Raw Fruit and Nut Cacao Balls.
But their sweetness and texture didn't answer my question - are medjool dates better for you than regular dates (I believe the ones commonly found in supermarkets are called deglet noor); are they worthy of buzzword status? I'm inclined to think not. I'm no expert, but from what I've read online there seems to be little difference between the two, in terms of the nutrient kick.
For a sweet snack, I would prefer regular dates as the medjools are extremely sweet. I don't make a habit of snacking heavily on dried fruits since they have a concentrated sugar content and it feels counter-intuitive to me to overload on sugar. But when I have a sweet tooth, and we all get them (there has to be a reason that we have sweet sensors right on the top of our tongue) I don't mind poppin' a few dates for an energy burst.
My Conclusion: medjool for baking, regular dates for sometimes snack poppin'.
Image Credit: Groundworks
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