Sweets without the rebound: date cream

There's a reason we go gagga over sweets.

Along with salty, it's the primary, first presented taste on our tongues.

No wonder starches, fruits, and other natural carbohydrates bring us comfort.  For friggin's sake, we're designed to eat them!

It's also the reason we're so easily hooked on sugars and candies.  We're drawn irresistibly.  Yet we know something's missing…

Real sweet to the rescue

First and foremost, eating enough quality carbohydrate in our daily diet satisfies this urge tremendously.

And rather than fight the urge for sweets, we can satisfy our desire for them -  and still stay trim.  We just may need to get creative about it.

In the spirit of sweets for the season, here's a quick and easy alternative to sugary jams and syrups that may bring you too much of a blood sugar rebound.

Date cream

I also call this "whipped dates" because that's what it is.

Easy to make, even easier to spread on bread, waffles, mochi (more about mochi here) hotcakes, or plop onto a bowl of steamy hot cereal at breakfast.

Step One: Take a half-dozen dates, or more if you are adventurous, and put them in the bottom of a glass bowl.

Step Two: cover with water

Step Three: soak overnight

Step Four: slip the pits from the dates

The dates should be mushy enough that it is easy to do

Step Five: whip the dates and water with a fork.

That's all there is too it!  You'll quickly learn what consistency you like best.   Add less water for thicker consistency next time.

I can't remember where I came up with this idea.  Probably spilled some water on some dates and had to figure out how to salvage them.

Give it a try.  You may find that with the natural sugars and high fiber content, the sweet rush you get will only be in the taste and not in your blood sugar.  And a great alternative to high fat spreads that can, to put it delicately, make us spread and fat.

Did I really just say that? 

Enjoy what you eat!

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© Lani Muelrath 2009  All Rights Reserved