LogmaUSDA lists Medjool dates at 277 kcal per 100 g and Deglet Noor at 282. A Medjool is more than three times the size of a Deglet Noor, and that is the whole difference.
Approximate values for 1 pitted Medjool date of about 24 g. About 16 g of the carbs are natural sugar.
Dates calories by portion
"A date" means two very different things. A Medjool is big and soft at about 24 g without the pit. A Deglet Noor, the kind sold pitted in bags, is about 7 g.
| Portion | Approx. amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Medjool dates | 100 g | ~277 kcal |
| 1 Medjool date, pitted | 24 g | ~66 kcal |
| 3 Medjool dates | 72 g | ~200 kcal |
| 1 Deglet Noor date, pitted | 7 g | ~20 kcal |
| 5 Deglet Noor dates | about 35 g | ~100 kcal |
| 1 cup of chopped dates | 147 g | ~415 kcal |
Built from USDA FoodData Central: Medjool at 277 kcal per 100 g with a 24 g pitted date, Deglet Noor at 282 kcal per 100 g with a 7.1 g date. Package labels agree: Natural Delights lists 140 kcal per 46 g serving of Medjool, and Sunsweet lists 120 kcal per 40 g of pitted Deglet Noor.
Why date calories vary so much
- The variety: one Medjool is 66 kcal, one Deglet Noor about 20. An app entry that says "1 date" without the variety can be off by a factor of three.
- The count: dates are easy to eat by the handful. Three Medjool is about 200 kcal, six is 400.
- The filling: a tablespoon of peanut butter is about 96 kcal, more than the date around it. One almond adds about 7.
- Chocolate: the viral chocolate covered stuffed dates land far higher. One recipe with peanut butter and chocolate chips works out to about 215 kcal per Medjool date.
A photo of a stuffed date shows the date. It doesn't show how much peanut butter is packed inside. Saying "two Medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter" gives the count the part that matters.
“Three Medjool dates and a tablespoon of peanut butter.”
Example: Logma logs the three dates and the peanut butter as separate items, and adds about 295 kcal with macros. No searching, no weighing.
Dates snack calories
| Snack | Approx. calories |
|---|---|
| 1 Medjool date with an almond inside | ~73 kcal |
| 1 Medjool date with a tablespoon of peanut butter | ~160 kcal |
| 3 Medjool dates and a glass of water | ~200 kcal |
| 3 Medjool dates and a tablespoon of peanut butter | ~295 kcal |
Peanut butter is 598 kcal per 100 g, so a 16 g tablespoon is about 96. An almond weighs about 1.2 g and has about 7 kcal. Three dates and water is the traditional way to open the fast at iftar in Ramadan, and with Medjool dates that is about 200 kcal before the meal starts.
Can you eat dates on a diet
Yes. Dates are fruit, with about 1.6 g of fiber and 167 mg of potassium in one Medjool. They're also dense: almost all of the 66 kcal is sugar, and they barely have protein. So count them, don't graze on them.
- Decide the number before you open the box. Two or three Medjool is a snack
- Use one chopped date to sweeten oatmeal or yogurt in place of sugar or honey
- Pair them with protein, like yogurt or a few nuts, so the snack keeps you full longer
- If you manage your blood sugar, ask your doctor or dietitian how dates fit your plan
One small study measured a glycemic index of about 46 to 55 for five date varieties, which is on the low side for something this sweet. It didn't test Medjool or Deglet Noor, and it doesn't change the calories.
4 ways to keep dates light
- Buy Deglet Noor for snacking: at about 20 kcal each, five of them are still only 100.
- Stuff with an almond, not a spoon of nut butter: about 73 kcal against about 160 for one Medjool.
- Skip the chocolate shell: a plain date is already dessert sweet.
- Count pits: leave them on the plate. It's the easiest way to know how many you had.
FAQ
How many calories are in one date?
One pitted Medjool date of about 24 g is 66 calories. One pitted Deglet Noor date of about 7 g is about 20 calories.
How many calories are in 3 dates?
Three Medjool dates are about 200 calories. Three Deglet Noor dates are about 60.
How many calories are in 100 g of dates?
Medjool dates are 277 calories per 100 g and Deglet Noor 282, by USDA figures. About 75 g of that is carbohydrate and 7 to 8 g is fiber.
How much sugar is in a Medjool date?
About 16 g in one 24 g Medjool date. It's natural fruit sugar and it comes with about 1.6 g of fiber, but it still counts toward your calories.
How many calories are in a date stuffed with peanut butter?
About 160 calories for one Medjool date with a tablespoon of peanut butter: 66 from the date and about 96 from the peanut butter.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central (dates, Medjool) · USDA FoodData Central (dates, Deglet Noor) · NutritionValue (Medjool date, per date) · NutritionValue (Sunsweet pitted Deglet Noor label) · Cup of Yum (peanut butter stuffed dates with chocolate, recipe) · Nutrition Journal 2011 (glycemic index of five date varieties). Values are approximate and vary by recipe, portion and brand. Not medical advice.
