Nutty Date Smoothie

This sweet almond-peanut date smoothie is a lovely way to start the day!

This month the Recipe Redux theme is all about celebrating National Nut Day with nut-themed recipes! I love finding new ways to incorporate nuts in recipes, and I was more than happy to use this theme as an excuse to eat more nuts while coming up with ideas. :)

And because we're celebrating Nut Day, of course I have to talk a little about the nutrition value of nuts! I've spent several years now working with clients who are trying to lose weight, and they almost always seem to be surprised when I recommend nuts as part of their eating plan. Back when low-fat diets were a thing, nuts were on the food no-no list because they have a high fat content, meaning they also have quite a few calories for a small portion. And although we now know that eating foods rich in healthy fats is very important to our overall health, people still tend to shy away from them when trying to lose weight.

It's important to know that nuts are okay to eat even when trying to lose weight, and can even help with weight loss! Nuts are an excellent source of heart-healthy poly and monounsaturated fats, and are also good sources of fiber and protein. Eating foods with fiber and protein at meals and snacks can help us feel fuller for a longer time. And that means we're likely to eat less food later in the day. It's still important to watch your portion size, just like it is with any food - so I recommend sticking with 1/4 cup portion of nuts per serving, which is about 200 calories depending on the type of nut.

This recipe uses almonds (my personal favorite nut), peanuts, which are technically not a nut - they're a legume (but we'll count them anyway!) and dates for sweetness. And since dates are in this recipe, I thought it would be fun to share a quick fact about them - did you know just 2 dates contains 3 grams of fiber (which is really good)?! So this recipe has a nice serving of fiber, healthy fat, and protein. It's got a sweet, nutty flavor (I know, surprise, it tastes like nuts!) and it makes for a really nice breakfast. Happy National Nut Day!