• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Glowing Fridge
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Cycle Phase Recipes
      • Menstrual Phase
      • Follicular Phase
      • Ovulatory Phase
      • Luteal Phase
    • Breakfast
    • Smoothies and Juices
    • Drinks
    • Salads
    • Main Dish
    • Glow Bowls
    • Soup
    • Sides
    • Sauces, Dressings and Dips
    • Snacks
    • Sweets
    • Mocktails & Cocktails
  • My Books
    • The Plant-Based Cookbook for Women
    • The Happy Hormone Tracker
    • The Happy Hormone Guide
  • Hormone Health
    • The Happy Hormone Tracker
    • The Happy Hormone Guide
    • Food Chart Download
    • Hormone Blog Posts
    • Cycle Phase Recipes
      • Menstrual Phase
      • Follicular Phase
      • Ovulatory Phase
      • Luteal Phase
  • Lifestyle
    • Beauty
    • Wellness
    • Hormone Health
    • Pregnancy
    • What I Ate
    • Why Vegan?
    • Vegan Starter Guide
    • 5-Day Cleanse
    • The Glow Down
    • Videos
  • KING COFFEE
    • 7-Day KING COFFEE Challenge
    • How to Buy King Coffee/Become a Distributor
    • About Reishi KING Coffee
    • FAQ About KING Coffee + Vegan Reishi Latte
  • Contact
    • Contact Me
    • About
      • About Me
      • My Vegan Story
  • Shop
    • Amazon Store
    • CODES
    • 7-Day KING COFFEE Challenge
    • How to Buy King Coffee
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • How to Buy King Coffee
  • Menstrual Phase Recipes
  • Follicular Phase Recipes
  • Ovulatory Phase Recipes
  • Luteal Phase Recipes
  • My Books
  • Wellness & Lifestyle
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Samoas Date Balls for an Easier Labor!

    Mar 31, 2021 • Pregnancy, Snacks

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Did you know eating dates towards the end of your pregnancy can help you have an easier and faster labor?! Who knew?!

    1. According to this study, women who ate six deglet noor dates a day for the four weeks leading up to their due date were:

    • 74% more dilated than non-date eaters at admission to birthplace
    • 38% more likely to have intact membranes
    • 21% more likely to spontaneously go into labor
    • 28% less likely to use prostin/oxytocin to induce labor
    • 77% shorter first stage of labor

    How amazing is that?! So starting at 36 weeks, you should start eating 6 dates per day. I’ve already started a few weeks early (I’m 33 weeks along) because I love these girl-scout cookie-inspired Samoas Date Balls so much! They’re super gooey, chewy, sweet, chocolate-y and filled with fiber and protein. I love having 2 alongside a smoothie in the morning, or just a couple with king coffee as a snack. Or, you can eat the dates plain (and pitted) with globs of nut butter. I do that often if I don’t have time to make these yummy date balls!

    The studies were done on the deglet noor dates which are slightly smaller, but where I live I can only find the medjool dates which are bigger. Either variety works. Nutritionally, medjool dates and deglet noor dates are nearly identical. So I would say if you are choosing the medjool dates, you could reduce the amount to 3-4 per day due to their size. If you are choosing the deglet noor variety, I would eat 6 dates. I find the medjool dates (as picutred below) to be more gooey and soft. This recipe makes 12 balls using 24 of the medjool dates. So eating 2 date balls would get you to the recommended daily amount of 4 medjool dates! So if you make this recipe each week up until you deliver you will be set!

    Dates also have numerous nutritional benefits (taken from this post):

    • Natural sugars (fructose) that easily break down in the body and won’t spike blood sugar levels, but offer high energy.
    • Fiber that helps you stay full, relieves constipation, and lowers your risk for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
    • Potassium—one of the best electrolytes. It helps maintain water/salt balance which helps regulate blood pressure.
    • Magnesium, which supports muscular health and helps alleviate muscle spasms and cramps in pregnancy.
    • Folate, which ensures your baby’s spinal cord matures properly, avoiding neural tube defects.
    • Vitamin K, which maintains proper blood clotting and healthy bones.
    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    Samoas Date Balls for an Easier Labor!

    • Author: Shannon Leparski
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Samoas Date Balls for an Easier Labor! Studies have shown that eating 6 dates per day can help your labor. These protein-packed vegan date balls are gooey, sweet, fiber-filled and absolutely delicious as a snack.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    24 medjool dates, pitted

    2 tablespoons almond butter (or any nut butter)

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    3/4 cup shredded coconut

    1/4 cup vegan protein powder (or 1 scoop; chocolate or vanilla)

    2 tablespoons vegan mini chocolate chips (or cacao nibs)

    1 tablespoon chia seeds

    1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    2 tablespoons water

    Optional add-ins: 2 tablespoons cacao powder for a more chocolate-y taste!


    Instructions

    Remove the pit from all the dates. Add the dates to a food processor with the almond butter and vanilla extract. Pulse until the dates are mostly blended and sticky. 

    Add in the coconut, protein powder, chocolate chips, chia seeds and sea salt. Process until well blended together. The mixture should now feel more powder-y and dry.

    Add in the water and pulse until the mixture is back to being sticky and more “wet”. If it feels too wet you could add in another tablespoon of protein powder. 

    Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Form into 12 date balls! You could roll in some shredded coconut for fun too, or just leave them as is. Refrigerate the date balls in an airtight container to stay fresh.

    Enjoy!


    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @theglowingfridge on Instagram and hashtag it #theglowingfridge

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    PIN FOR LATER:


    ** Check out my Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Resource List post for other tips and tricks as well as a birth plan template and much more!



    You Might Like These too:

    • How I’ve Been Prepping for Labor and Birth!How I’ve Been Prepping for Labor and Birth!
    • No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy BallsNo-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls
    • Postpartum Recovery EssentialsPostpartum Recovery Essentials
    • Third Trimester Update, Breech Baby and How I’m Feeling NowThird Trimester Update, Breech Baby and How I’m Feeling Now
    • Pregnancy, Birth & Baby ResourcesPregnancy, Birth & Baby Resources
    • 2nd Trimester Symptoms and Updates!2nd Trimester Symptoms and Updates!
    « One-Pot Spicy Veggie Pasta
    Third Trimester Update, Breech Baby and How I’m Feeling Now »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debby Hundley

      April 01, 2021 at 9:20 am

      I have tried the dates with both of my pregnancies. I had both children at home with a midwife. The dates did nothing for me 🙁 But i hope you are one of the women they work for, Good Luck!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    SHANNON Leparski

    SHANNON Leparski

    Hi! I'm Shannon, a Certified Hormone Specialist and plant based blogger living in Chicago. I help women heal their bodies bodies from the inside out and balance their hormones naturally through a plant based diet and lifestyle. Let me guide you through it, so you can glow from within and feel the best you've ever felt!

    MY NEW COOKBOOK!

    Fertility Prep eBook!

    Fertility Prep eBook!

    The Happy Hormone Tracker

    The Happy Hormone Tracker

    My Book >> The Happy Hormone Guide!

    A look inside The Happy Hormone Guide. The first ever plant-based vegan book for balancing hormones, increasing energy and reducing PMS symptoms. With recipes and lifestyle tips for each phase of your menstrual cycle. #cyclesycning

    BECOME A PRACTITIONER

    HOW TO DETOX FROM BIRTH CONTROL

    HOW TO DETOX FROM BIRTH CONTROL

    NATURAL BIRTH CONTROL

    NATURAL BIRTH CONTROL

    Want to know the best foods to eat for each phase of your menstrual cycle?

    sign up to start eating in sync with your cycle!

    Footer

    shannon.leparski

    Wellness, Motherhood, Holistic Nutrition, Gut Health
    • Root Cause Practitioner
    • Author of The Happy Hormone Guide
    💌 shannon@theglowingfridge.com

    SHANNON LEPARSKI, IHP
    HANDLE NAME CHANGE!! I’ve been wanting to do th HANDLE NAME CHANGE!!

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while as a fresh start with all the changes to my “brand” in the last year. It feels right to just use my name 😀 (fun fact: I haven’t taken my hubbys last name yet because of business paperwork that I’m too lazy to figure out 😅 name changes are complicated) 

@theglowingfridge started out of my love for the plant based lifestyle but so much has changed in the last 9 years and I’ve been itching to update. Nothing else will change and my blog will still remain as is, if you still use my recipes and such. Love you all and thank you for supporting me through all these changes 🤍🤍🤍

#namechange #handlechange #branding
    what I eat for gut health, happy hormones, healthy what I eat for gut health, happy hormones, healthy skin & hair, and to be a patient mama 🖤

When my blood sugar is on a nasty rollercoaster, I’m not the best mama that I know I should be for my girl. I’m more irritable and short. So I prioritize protein, healthy fats and carbs at each meal. This helps me feel balanced and provides energy to play and chase after her all day! I need all the fuel I can get.

- breakfast tacos with pastured eggs
- collagen king coffee ☁️ 
- leftover homemade chicken fried rice 
- swedish meatballs & gf pasta & green beans
- my homemade tahini maple cookies (I have a reel with the recipe!!) but I’m truly addicted 🍪 
- always sipping on @gerolsteiner_usa 💧

#whatieatinaday #happyhormones #hormonebalance #bloodsugarbalance #guthealth #hairhealth
    I don’t get ready everyday… But when I do I f I don’t get ready everyday…

But when I do I feel better, duh! And more confident. More productive. Happier in general. Of course I have super lazy days but I try to get myself together because I’m more likely to leave the house, you know mamas? I hate when people ask “why do you get ready if you’re home all day”.. 

I’m sharing different content like this because I feel like it and don’t want to be stuck in a box 😀

#grwm #sahm #selfcare
    I mean if you drink it everyday… It should be o I mean if you drink it everyday…

It should be organic, mold-free, tested for mycotoxins and taste delicious, etc. King coffee goes a step further with a therapeutic dose of reishi spores, the most powerful and potent part of reishi mushroom! Most other companies use the lucidum part of reishi, in case you’re wondering 👑

Want more info? DM me “king” and I’ll send you the deets 🤍🤍🤍

#kingcoffee #reishicoffee #reishi #healthycoffee #organic
    passes & smashes for gut healing ❤️‍🩹 I passes & smashes for gut healing ❤️‍🩹

I have many more passes too.. extreme diets, too many supplements, gluten, juice cleanses, eating too fast and not chewing enough.. the list goes on!

Gut healing takes a multi-faceted approach and it’s never just one supplement to heal or one thing to do.

It takes time, patience and grace! And working alongside a practitioner you feel called to 🙏🏼 

#guthealth #guthealing #guthealthmatters #healyourgut #happyhormones
    january 🤍❄️☃️ january 🤍❄️☃️

    Shannon is a health enthusiast and plant based nutrition advocate, living in Chicago. She studied Health and Fitness at Purdue University and loves everything about the plant based vegan lifestyle, especially creating colorful, nourishing, happy hormone recipes in her kitchen. Read More…

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    MENSTRUAL PHASE RECIPES

    Vegan Tortilla Mushroom and “Mozzarella Cream” Pizza

    Banana Breakfast Cookies (Vegan & Gluten Free)

    Vegan Crockpot Lentil Soup

    Simple Cucumber Salad (Vegan)

    Copyright © 2023 The Glowing Fridge on the Foodie Pro Theme