So, you’re out on a group date. Someone wants to take a selfie with everyone and you all sit down on a nearby fallen tree…wait, what!? I’m not talking that kind of dates on a log. (I couldn’t resist hahaha! Please don’t quit reading my blog.) I’m talking a recipe for celery sticks smothered in peanut butter and sprinkled with sweet, mild, dates! (As in the fruit.) A simple and delicious variation of the classic lunch box recipe for Ants on a Log.

Personally, I’ve been making my ants on a log with dates instead of raisins for years. Ever since I learned about the nutritional value of dates. My kids just gobble these celery sticks up! I know it’s a healthy snack and it makes me feel like a good parent to see my kids eat healthy!

I find that I prefer the more mild-tasting dates to top my celery instead of raisins. They’re also great if you’re trying to incorporate more fiber into your diet. Dates are much higher in fiber and lower in sodium than raisins. Dates have lots of other great nutritional value, plus some benefits I was surprised to learn about! You can learn more here.

Along with adding sticks to lunch boxes, this recipe for Dates on a Log could be a great party appetizer, after school snack, or picnic treat. Have issues with peanut butter? No problem, just substitute sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. We do it all the time just because Sunflower butter is so yummy!

Not sure where to find chopped dates? Sunsweet sells bright yellow 8 oz packages next to the raisins in just about any grocery store. They also sell bags of whole pitted dates. If you accidentally grab this one by mistake, just run the whole dates in your food processor for a few pulses and you have chopped dates you can empty right back into the bag. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. So try this little variation of dates on a log today! It’s a tasty snack that I think you’ll love and your healthy kids will love too.