17 Comfort Foods with a Healthy Twist

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Milkshakes - Nix the sugar, and sweeten them up with dates

For a healthier way to satisfy your sweet tooth, replace the sugar in your milkshakes with Medjool dates. Naturally sweet, rich in essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium, they're an excellent substitute for refined sugar in a variety of desserts and baked goods as well. You can also use date sugar made from grinding dried dates or date syrup, which is made by boiling them. For an individual milkshake serving, simply add 2 or 3 dried dates for extra sweetness. As a comparison, 3.5 oz (100g) of dates contains roughly 282 calories versus 387 calories in 3.5 oz (100g) of sugar.