Group · Fruit
Dates (dried)
The date is the fruit of the date palm, cultivated for six thousand years in Mesopotamia. The values on this page are those of the dried date, the form in which it is almost always sold in France: the water has gone, everything else is concentrated.
In terms of nutrition facts: 287 kcal per 100 g, with 64.7 g of sugars (all of its carbohydrate) and 7.3 g of fibre. It provides 696 mg of potassium per 100 g, or 35% of the reference intake, as well as 47.3 mg of magnesium.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 287 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1210 kJ |
| Protein | 1,9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 64,7 g |
| Fat | 0,3 g |
| Fibre | 7,3 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Potassium696 mg35 %
- Copper0,22 mg22 %
- Vitamin B60,25 mg18 %
- Manganese0,3 mg15 %
- Vitamin B50,81 mg14 %
- Magnesium47,3 mg13 %
- Vitamin B31,61 mg10 %
- Phosphorus62 mg9 %
- Vitamin B9dietary folate equivalents15 µg
See the other 12 nutrients
- Iron0,9 mg6 %
- Calcium44,9 mg6 %
- Selenium3,05 µg6 %
- Vitamin B10,05 mg5 %
- Vitamin B20,06 mg4 %
- Vitamin K12,7 µg4 %
- Zinc0,23 mg2 %
- Iodine1,4 µg1 %
- Vitamin A7,42 µg1 %
- Omega-6 LA0,05 g0 %
- Vitamin E0,05 mg0 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,01 g0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
Bring it back to the single date. A Medjool date weighs 20 to 25 g, a Deglet Nour about 8 g: that is 60 kcal for the first, 23 for the second. It is the only useful way to read the 287 kcal, because nobody eats 100 g of dates in one go, or if they do, that is the problem.
Its fibre changes how its sugars behave. 7.3 g per 100 g, which genuinely slows absorption: the glycaemic index of a date is moderate despite its sugar content, contrary to what the raw figure suggests.
It replaces sugar in baking. Blended into a paste, it sweetens a cake or energy balls while providing fibre and potassium, which white sugar does not. The calories remain comparable: the gain is in quality, not quantity.
For athletes, it is a portable fast sugar. Two or three dates before an endurance session, or during a long effort: they digest well and need no technical packaging.
The potassium deserves a mention. 696 mg per 100 g puts the date among the richest foods in the database. Worth flagging for people with kidney failure, who on the contrary need to limit potassium.
Dates and diabetes: their glycaemic index is moderate, but they are very rich in carbohydrate. The right portion, 2 to 3 small dates, is detailed in our guide dates and diabetes.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (may vary by brand, cut and preparation).
