Yes, dates are healthy for most people when you treat them like the dense, sweet fruit they are. They bring fiber, potassium, magnesium and copper with almost no fat or sodium. The catch is concentration: 100 grams (3.5 oz) of Medjool dates has 277 calories and about 66 grams of natural sugar, according to USDA FoodData Central. So the real question isn’t whether dates are good or bad. It’s how many you eat and what you eat them with.
Below you’ll find dates nutrition for the two varieties most US stores carry, calories in dates by size, what the sugar number means, and easy ways to work them into snacks and meals.
Are dates healthy? The short answer
Dates are a whole fruit with the water dried out of them, which is why they taste like candy and why the numbers look big. Here’s what stands out once you look past the sugar:
- Fiber: 6.7 g per 100 g of Medjool and 8 g per 100 g of Deglet Noor. That’s 24% and 29% of the 28 g Daily Value the FDA uses on labels.
- Potassium: 696 mg (Medjool) and 656 mg (Deglet Noor) per 100 g, roughly 14 to 15% of the Daily Value.
- Copper and magnesium: 100 g of Medjool covers about 40% of the copper Daily Value and 13% of magnesium.
- Almost no fat or sodium: under half a gram of fat and 1 to 2 mg of sodium per 100 g.
- Very little protein: about 2 g per 100 g, which is why pairing dates with a protein food makes a better snack.
The trade-off is calories and sugar per bite. A handful disappears fast, and a cup of chopped dates adds up to more than 400 calories. Portion is the whole game.
Dates nutrition per 100 g: Medjool vs Deglet Noor
Medjool dates are the big, soft, caramel-like ones sold loose or in clamshells. Deglet Noor dates are smaller, firmer and drier, and they’re the type you’ll usually find chopped in baking aisles. The numbers below come straight from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy records 168191 and 171726). Percent Daily Values use the FDA reference amounts.
| Per 100 g (3.5 oz) | Medjool | Deglet Noor |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 277 | 282 |
| Carbohydrates | 75.0 g | 75.0 g |
| Total sugars | 66.5 g | 63.4 g |
| Fiber | 6.7 g (24% DV) | 8.0 g (29% DV) |
| Protein | 1.8 g | 2.5 g |
| Fat | 0.15 g | 0.39 g |
| Potassium | 696 mg (15% DV) | 656 mg (14% DV) |
| Magnesium | 54 mg (13% DV) | 43 mg (10% DV) |
| Copper | 0.36 mg (40% DV) | 0.21 mg (23% DV) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.25 mg (15% DV) | 0.17 mg (10% DV) |
| Calcium | 64 mg (5% DV) | 39 mg (3% DV) |
| Iron | 0.9 mg (5% DV) | 1.0 mg (6% DV) |
| Sodium | 1 mg | 2 mg |
Gram for gram, the two are close. Deglet Noor edges ahead on fiber and protein and has a little less sugar; Medjool brings more potassium, magnesium, copper and B6. Neither is the “healthy one.” Pick the texture you like.
How many calories are in a date?
It depends almost entirely on size. Dates run about 2.8 calories per gram, so a small Deglet Noor and a jumbo Medjool can differ by 50 calories or more. The easiest way to know is to weigh one pitted date on a kitchen scale and find its weight in the table below. Smaller Deglet Noor dates fall in the lighter rows, and big Medjools in the heavier ones.
| Pitted date weight | Medjool: calories / sugar / fiber | Deglet Noor: calories / sugar / fiber |
|---|---|---|
| 7 g (0.25 oz) | 19 / 4.7 g / 0.5 g | 20 / 4.4 g / 0.6 g |
| 10 g (0.35 oz) | 28 / 6.6 g / 0.7 g | 28 / 6.3 g / 0.8 g |
| 15 g (0.5 oz) | 42 / 10.0 g / 1.0 g | 42 / 9.5 g / 1.2 g |
| 20 g (0.7 oz) | 55 / 13.3 g / 1.3 g | 56 / 12.7 g / 1.6 g |
| 25 g (0.9 oz) | 69 / 16.6 g / 1.7 g | 71 / 15.8 g / 2.0 g |
For a bigger picture, Food Network’s dietitian contributor describes a typical serving as two to three pitted dates, about 45 grams. Using the USDA numbers, 45 g works out to about 125 calories, 30 g of sugar and 3 g of fiber for Medjool, or 127 calories, 28.5 g of sugar and 3.6 g of fiber for Deglet Noor. One cup of chopped Deglet Noor (147 g) comes to about 415 calories and 93 g of sugar, which is worth remembering before you toss a big handful into a trail mix.
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What about all that sugar?
Sixty-plus grams of sugar per 100 g sounds alarming, and it is a lot. Two things put it in context.
It’s not added sugar. The FDA’s labeling rules count sugar naturally found in fruit as total sugars, not added sugars. Added sugars are the ones put in during processing, like table sugar, syrups and concentrated fruit juice. Whole dates don’t count toward the 50 g Daily Value for added sugars. Date syrup and some date-sweetened products can be a different story, so read the label.
It comes packaged with fiber. A 20 g date brings 1.3 to 1.6 g of fiber along with its sugar. A spoonful of table sugar brings none. That doesn’t make the sugar disappear, but it’s one reason dates beat candy as a sweet snack.
If you’re comparing fruits for sugar, dates sit at the very top of the list. For lighter everyday options, see our guide to low sugar fruits with sugar per serving. And if you’re weighing dates against other sweeteners, our breakdown of artificial sweeteners vs sugar covers the other side of that choice.
Medjool or Deglet Noor: which should you buy?
Buy for how you’ll use them, not for a nutrition edge, since the per-gram numbers are nearly the same.
- Medjool: soft, sticky and rich. Best for eating whole, stuffing and blending into smoothies or date paste. They cost more and each one is bigger, so it’s easier to overshoot.
- Deglet Noor: firmer, drier and less sweet tasting. Best for chopping into oatmeal, salads, grain bowls and baked goods. Their smaller size makes portions easier to control.
Whichever you pick, check the ingredient list. Plain dates should list only dates. Some chopped dates are rolled in dextrose or oat flour to keep them from sticking, and that dextrose does count as added sugar.
Easy ways to eat dates
Dates work best as a partner, not a solo act. Pairing them with protein or fat makes a snack more filling and slows down how fast you eat.
- Stuffed dates: split a Medjool, pull the pit and fill it with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter or almond butter and a few chopped nuts. Two of these make a solid afternoon snack.
- In overnight oats: chop one date into a jar instead of adding syrup. It sweetens the whole jar as it softens. Our overnight oats meal prep plan is an easy place to start.
- With Greek yogurt: stir chopped dates and cinnamon into plain yogurt for a dessert-like bowl with real protein.
- In salads and grain bowls: a few slivers of Deglet Noor balance salty feta, olives or roasted vegetables.
- Blended into smoothies: one soaked Medjool can replace a tablespoon of honey or sugar.
- As date paste in baking: blend pitted dates with a splash of hot water until smooth and use it to replace part of the sugar in muffins or energy bites.
Store dates in an airtight container. They keep well at room temperature for short stretches, and the fridge keeps them soft and fresh longer.
Who should go easy on dates?
Dates fit into most eating patterns, but a few groups should count them carefully. If you track carbs for any reason, treat dates like any other carb-heavy food and log them by weight. If you’re watching calories, the per-date table above makes it easy to budget. And if a doctor or dietitian has given you limits on sugar, carbs or potassium, follow their numbers rather than general advice like this.
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For more foods that add magnesium without the sugar load, see our list of magnesium-rich meals and snacks. Curious how other dried fruit compares? Our plums vs prunes guide runs through the same fresh-versus-dried trade-off.
Dates FAQ
How many calories are in one Medjool date?
About 2.8 calories per gram. A 20 g pitted Medjool has about 55 calories, and a 25 g one about 69. Weigh one to know your exact number.
Are dates high in sugar?
Yes. Dates are about two-thirds sugar by weight (66.5 g per 100 g for Medjool). It’s naturally occurring fruit sugar, not added sugar, and it comes with fiber, but it still counts toward your total carbs.
How many dates can I eat a day?
There’s no official limit. A common serving is two to three dates (about 45 g), which lands around 125 calories. Fit them into your overall day the way you would any sweet snack.
Are dates healthier than candy?
Both are calorie-dense, but dates bring fiber, potassium, magnesium and copper, and their sugar isn’t added sugar. That makes them a better swap, as long as the portion stays reasonable.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: Dates, medjool (FDC 168191), via GetFoodFacts record
- USDA FoodData Central: Dates, deglet noor (FDC 171726), via GetFoodFacts record
- FDA: Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
- FDA: Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label
- Food Network Healthy Eats: Are Dates Healthy?
