Dates are a delicious fruit with nutritional benefits, including vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. They may also improve bone health, control blood sugar, and may help promote natural labor.

Pitting dates is tedious, but here are two simple ways to do so:

1- Use a knife to slice the date lengthwise carefully. You should reach the pit but not cut through it. Then pry the sides open with your thumbs while pushing the back of the date with your index fingers which will push out the pit enough for you to pull it out the rest of the way.

2- Use a chopstick at the top of the date to push the pit out from the bottom. *Make sure your chopstick is clean of any straggling splinters.