Dates have roughly 280 calories per 100 g. A small or medium date (7 to 12 g) has about 20 to 35 calories, and a large Medjool (about 24 g) about 66. Three medium dates come to roughly 70 to 100 calories.
Dates are part of daily life in the Gulf: with coffee, to break a fast, as a quick snack. They are healthy, but they are also dense in sugar and calories, so size matters.
Calories in dates per 100 g
Most dried and semi-dried dates have about 270 to 300 calories per 100 g, almost all from natural sugars, with around 7 g of fibre and 2 g of protein. Fresh, moist dates (rutab) hold more water, so they are a little lower, roughly 140 to 200 per 100 g depending on how ripe they are.
Calories in one date
Because dates vary so much in size, weigh a few once to know yours:
- Small date (about 7 to 8 g): about 20 to 23 calories
- Medium date, such as many Khalas or Sukkari (about 10 to 12 g): about 28 to 35 calories
- Large Medjool (about 24 g): about 66 calories
So 3 dates can be anything from about 60 calories (small) to 200 (Medjool).
A date is a healthy sweet, but it is still a sweet. Count them, do not eyeball a bowl.
Sukkari vs Khalas vs Medjool
Per gram they are close; what changes is size and moisture. Sukkari is soft and sweet and often eaten in larger amounts, which is where calories add up. Medjool is the biggest, so one Medjool is about two smaller dates.
Are dates good for weight loss?
They can fit in any diet. Their fibre and natural sugar make them a good choice before training, or to satisfy a sweet craving instead of chocolate or pastries. The risk is simply eating many: ten medium dates are about 300 calories, the same as a meal.
Practical tips:
- Decide your number before you start, for example 3 dates with coffee.
- Pair them with protein (laban, a few nuts) to stay full longer.
- In Ramadan, 1 to 3 dates are a classic way to break the fast, then move to your meal.
Dates and blood sugar
Dates contain mostly glucose and fructose, but their fibre slows things down, and several types have a low to medium glycaemic index. If you have diabetes, count them as part of your carbs and ask your doctor or dietitian how many fit your plan.
Sources
- Nutrition values for dates, records 171726 (Deglet Noor) and 168191 (Medjool): USDA FoodData Central
- The glycaemic index of five date varieties, including Khalas: Alkaabi et al., 2011
The takeaway
Think about 280 calories per 100 g, 20 to 35 for a typical date and around 66 for a Medjool. In Shulah you can log your usual dates in one tap, so a daily habit gets counted without effort.