Today I present to you…

A gift.

A weapon.

A curse.

A blessing.

It is a responsibility not to be taken lightly - indeed, you must carefully weigh your choices in the balance of the universe when you wield such staggering power.

IT.

IS.

SUGAR.

Yeah guys, I know, sugar is bad for babies. It’s one of those things that you’re supposed to avoid at all costs. But to be honest, if you are buying any pre-made stuff from the grocery store, or tomato sauce, or cereal, nearly all of it has added sugar. You know why? Because sugar makes things taste good.

Babies are hardwired to love sugar. Breastmilk is sweet - chock full of lactose. But we all know that sugar (especially refined sugar) is the root of all evil. WHAT IS A MAMA TO DO?

Well, I try to buy foods like yogurt plain, no fruit or sugar added. Same with oats. But have you ever tasted plain oats or plain yogurt? One is intensely bland, the other is just kind of intense. So I make up a batch of date puree to add to certain dishes. (It’s all about controlling the sugar and the salt yourself, amiright?)

Though dates are basically 70-80% sugar (this time of the fructose variety), they are also full of other amazing nutrients like vitamin b6, polyphenols, potassium, fiber, magnesium, as well as a little iron. They also have a low glycemic load, which means that they don’t spike blood sugar levels.

So I feel pretty okay about that half tablespoon that I occasionally give to my daughter.

Here’s how it’s done:

Grab some pitted dates. I get organic ones from a bulk health food store.

Cover them with about an inch of water in a saucepan and simmer for a good long while (adding additional water as needed until they are soft - they need to be soft enough to not gum up the blades of your food processor/blender.**)

Dump the soft dates and enough of the cooking water into a food processor or blender to form a paste.

Blend. Add more water if you need to.

Let it cool, then refrigerate or freeze. Super easy, right?

TIPS:

I tend to only use a very very tiny bit each day, so I freeze the puree in a wide container and then scrap the amount I need with a spoon like a granita. Because of the high sugar content, the puree won’t freeze rock hard, which makes it easy to scrape as needed.

If you have extra cooking water, strain and save it. You can even reduce it down a little to make a date-y syrup, for all of your adult sweetening needs.
Date puree can be used to sweeten baked goods as well - just make sure that you’re taking into account the amount of water in the recipe, and remember that it is not a 1:1 sub in sub out for regular granulated sugar. (If you have any questions about subbing date puree, feel free to message/comment @ me.)

And there you have it! You now have the potential to make your child want to eat nearly everything you make! Don’t let the glorious and extraordinary feelings of omnipotence overtake you - date puree in large amounts in every meal is NOT HEALTHY FOR YOUR BABY, and you should not add it to everything, even if your baby begs you to.

**I have only ever used a food processor, but I am assuming it will work fine in a blender as well - actually it’ll probably work better.

Date Puree