My current favorite snack is just two ingredients: dates and cashew butter. That's it. I discovered it in January when I chose to temporarily eliminate some foods from my diet so that my body could feel better. Sure I enjoyed the sugar-laden desserts of the holidays and too much wine. But between the overindulgence of the holidays and recovering from my second miscarriage, which happened in November, by January my body was asking, no it was begging for a break.
I don't diet. I don't cleanse or detox. I do try to eat in a way that helps me thrive while living with an autoimmune disease. I was diagnosed with Grave's Disease in February 1998. For twenty years I have managed to live with one disease without developing another. Research has shown that once you develop one autoimmune disease, you are much more likely to develop another. One doctor told me I was 600 times more likely than someone who does not have autoimmunity.
So in January, I eliminated some inflammatory foods, giving my body a chance to heal. Out went dairy and alcohol and soy and legumes and sugar. I am a snacker by nature and snacks were a real challenge until I happened upon this flavorful and nutritious combination of dates smeared with cashew butter. The sweetness of the dates plus the creaminess of the cashew butter is incredibly delicious and incredibly satisfying.
Can I call this a recipe? It feels more like a method so here is the method for this snack followed by the nutritional awesomeness it provides.
Dates with Cashew Butter
Serves 1
2 Medjool dates or 3 smaller dates such as Bahri or Deglet Noor
Cashew Butter
Remove the pit from the date and spread it flat. Smear it with cashew butter. Yum!
If you like dates, check out my recipe for date balls.
Nutritional awesomeness: Dates are loaded with anti-oxidants and other good for you vitamins and minerals, are considered low glycemic, and have a reputation for being the Viagra of Saudi Arabia (ahem and bada bing bada boom!). If you want more information about the health benefits of dates, check out this article, and this one, and also this one. The fat in cashew butter aids digestion. You can read about the benefits of cashew butter here.
You can learn more about dates in this article.
It's your turn! What are some of your favorite two ingredient snacks?
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