If you’re gearing up for a long run/marathon, or you’re just looking for a snack to fuel your weekly workouts, I want to share one of my favorite real food snacks. These stuffed dates with peanut butter take just a few minutes to make, are totally delicious, and will keep your energy up!
Want more running fuel snack ideas? Check out my posts on how to fuel a long run and what to eat before and after a run.
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Dates with Peanut Butter
I’ve written about my love for these in the past (while training for the Richmond Marathon, they were my fuel of choice). Not only are they delicious when you’re out there trudging the pavement, but they are easy to throw together a few minutes before you run (literally) out the door.
Why do these make great running fuel? Dates provide ample carbohydrates for energy as well as potassium, which can help to prevent cramps. The salt helps replace that lost from sweat, and the small amount of nut butter helps to keep your energy levels more stable.
I especially love eating these later on in my long runs, when I start to get sick of gels and more hungry for serious food (and just a little fat/protein – enough to satisfy me but not so much that it’s hard to digest while running).
Everyone’s nutrition needs vary (see the end of this post for more info on figuring that out), but a good general rule is to eat one of these every 30 to 45 minutes for runs over 1 hour.
Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates Ingredients
You only need 3 main ingredients to make these peanut butter stuffed dates:
- dates (I love Medjool dates)
- peanut butter (or any nut butter of choice – almond butter would be delicious here, too! Natural nut butter is best, because it doesn’t have all the extra additives.)
- salt (just a little sprinkle on top)
You can definitely play around with additional toppings, too. Pomegranate seeds, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, blueberries, or other dried fruit (chopped into small pieces) would all be very tasty!
How to Make Stuffed Dates
If your dates aren’t yet pitted, start by making a small slit down the center of each date. With your hands, pull out the pit. (Make sure to keep one side of the date intact, so the peanut butter will stay inside the date).
Next, use a small spoon to stuff the now-empty area with peanut butter. Lastly, sprinkle on some salt. That’s it! Just 3 ingredients and a couple minutes for snack bliss.
If you’re saving these for a run or workout, just place them in a zippable bag. You can also make a big batch and freeze some for later! Just allow them to defrost in the refrigerator before you’re ready to eat.
You’ll find the full stuffed dates with peanut butter “recipe” – aka the easiest thing ever – at the bottom of this post. Happy fueling!
Interested in learning more about sports nutrition, fueling right without driving yourself crazy, and getting additional sport-specific recipes? Check out my Nutrition for Runners Program – you can get started for free!
Do you have a favorite workout snack? Let me know in the comments!
More sports nutrition related posts you might enjoy:
- How to Fuel for a Marathon or Half Marathon
- How to Eat for Running: Top 5 Nutrition Mistakes Made by Runners
- Homemade Citrus Sports Drink
- Tart Cherry Sports Drink
And here are some more portable healthy snack ideas:
- No Bake Granola Bars with Peanut Butter
- Hard Boiled Egg and Cheddar Muffins (gluten free)
- No Bake Turmeric Ginger Energy Balls
- Homemade Protein Granola Bars
- Cheesy Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza Bars
Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates
These are a quick and easy snack for long runs or workouts. Dates provide carbohydrates for energy as well as potassium, which can help to prevent cramps. Salt helps replace that lost from sweat, and nut butter helps to keep your energy levels more stable.
Ingredients:
- 1 medjool date, pitted
- 1 teaspoon nut butter (any kind)
- One shake/pinch salt
Instructions:
- Open the date and remove the pit, if not already pitted.
- Stuff the nut butter inside, where the pit used to be.
- Add a shake of salt and pop it in a ziplock bag so you can eat it on the run!
Notes:
You guys know I’m normally anti-calorie counting, but for the purpose of sports nutrition, it’s important to know that you’re taking in enough calories/carbs during a workout. (And it’s really hard to eat intuitively in the middle of a really long run.) For that reason, I’ve included the nutritional info for this recipe below for your reference.
Nutrition information: 98 calories, 2.7g fat, 156mg sodium, 202mg potassium, 19g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 16g sugar, 1.8g protein.
