Dates: benefits, sugar content and how to eat them

What are the properties of dates?

Per 100 g, dates provide 287 kcal, 67 g of carbohydrates, 7.1 g of fibre, 677 mg of potassium and 58 mg of magnesium [1]. These are the figures from the Spanish Food Composition Database. Most of those carbohydrates are sugars, which is why dates taste like caramel.

No one eats 100 g of dates in one go, so it helps to look at a serving. Three small Deglet Noor dates weigh about 25 g when pitted. That serving provides about 72 kcal, 17 g of carbohydrates, 1.8 g of fibre, 170 mg of potassium and 15 mg of magnesium [1]. One large Medjool date weighs almost as much as those three together.

Potassium and fibre are their strengths, packed into a very small volume. The flip side of that small volume is concentrated sugar. That is what determines how many are suitable.

Do dates cause weight gain or raise blood sugar?

No single food causes weight gain on its own, and dates are no exception. What matters is how many you eat and what you eat less of to make room for them. Three dates, about 72 kcal [1], make a reasonable snack. An open packet on the sofa is another matter.

Dates have a high energy density, meaning a lot of energy in a small volume. That makes it easy to eat more than you intended without feeling full. To compare them with other foods, see our guide to foods high in carbohydrates.

As for blood glucose, the glycaemic index measures how much a food raises blood sugar compared with pure glucose. For dates, it varies widely by variety, from about 30 to 75 [2]. Many varieties fall in the low or moderate range [2]. Our guide to the glycaemic index of foods explains what each range means.

If you have diabetes, dates are not off limits. An analysis of five small trials found no worsening in glycated haemoglobin, a marker of blood sugar over the past few months [2]. The studies were short and involved few people. Your serving and when you eat it should be tailored to you, especially if you take insulin or medicines that can lower blood sugar too much.

Fresh and dried dates: what is the difference?

The dates you buy are almost always dried dates, although they do not go through a drying facility. They ripen and lose water on the palm itself, and are harvested that way. The figures above are for this type of date [1].

Fresh dates are picked earlier, while still yellow or reddish, crisp and slightly astringent. They appear in greengrocers and markets in autumn, sometimes still on the branch. They retain more water, so the same weight contains less sugar and fewer calories. Keep them in the fridge; they only last a few days.

Can dates be used to sweeten home baking?

Yes, and they work very well in cakes, biscuits or oat balls. What changes is how their sugar is classified. The WHO calls sugars added to foods, as well as those in honey, syrups and fruit juices, free sugars [3]. It recommends keeping them below 10% of daily energy intake, and ideally below 5% [3].

Date syrup clearly fits that definition because it is a syrup [3]. The same applies to date paste. Blending the fruit breaks down its cells and releases the sugar, which behaves like added sugar and is therefore also counted as free sugar [4].

Sweetening with dates lets you make a cake without table sugar, and the cake gains some fibre and potassium. It is still a sweet treat, and its sugar counts just like table sugar. Enjoy it as such, in a suitable portion and from time to time.

How to include dates in your week

Eaten whole and in a suitable portion, they work well at three times of day.

• As a snack. Two or three dates with a handful of walnuts or almonds, or with plain yoghurt.
• Before exercise. One or two, between half an hour and an hour before a long effort.
• During a long outing. On hikes or runs lasting more than an hour, they are easy-to-carry carbohydrates.

For efforts lasting more than an hour, around 30 to 60 g of carbohydrates per hour are recommended [5]. Three small dates provide about 17 g [1], so they cover part of that amount while adding very little weight to your pocket. If you do not do this kind of sport, have them as a snack whenever suits you.

Date, fresh cheese and apple filo parcels

Makes 4 servings, with two parcels per person. This starter is fairly energy-dense, so two parcels make a serving.

• 8 dates
• 1 tub of fresh cheese
• 1 Golden Delicious apple
• 8 sheets of filo pastry
• 1 beaten egg, for brushing

Cut the dates into small pieces. Peel and chop the apple just before filling the parcels so it does not turn brown. Place a little date, a spoonful of fresh cheese and four or five apple pieces on each sheet of pastry. Gather it into a parcel and tie it with kitchen string or a strip of leek. Brush with egg and bake at 190 °C for 8 to 10 min. Serve hot or cold.

What we see in consultations about dates

We hear three ideas about dates in consultations almost every week.

“It’s natural sugar, so I can eat as many as I like.” The sugar in a whole date comes with its fibre, but it is still sugar. Three dates make one serving. A full bowl is several servings.

“If it’s sweetened with dates, it’s healthy.” Many bars, biscuits and date balls boast that dates are their only sweetener. Those dates are blended, and their sugar counts as free sugar [4]. Check the sugars per 100 g on the label and compare it with an ordinary sweet treat.

“If I’m overweight or have diabetes, I’d better avoid them altogether.” This advice is still around, but it is not one we support today. Dates can fit into your week in a suitable serving. What helps is deciding when and with what to eat them.