Fruits · IFCT 2017
Dates: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, pale brown dry dates give 320 kcal, 74.9 g carbohydrate, 66.6 g sugars, 8.9 g dietary fibre and 804 mg potassium, according to IFCT 2017. Dates rank 1st among fruits for both energy and carbohydrate, and 2nd for fibre. They are a dense, sweet food: valuable in small amounts, and very easy to overeat.
About dates
The form IFCT 2017 analysed is the dry date, chuhara in Hindi, kharek in Gujarati and chawara in Punjabi: the hard, wrinkled, pale brown fruit sold by weight in dry fruit shops. Kutch in Gujarat is India's main date-growing district, where fresh yellow and red kharek is picked in early summer, though most dates sold in Indian cities come from the Gulf. Soft, moist khajur, as it is called in Marathi, Kashmiri and Urdu, is the same fruit dried less.
The tables compare three forms. Dark brown dry dates have slightly less energy, 311 kcal per 100 g, but more fibre and iron, 9.1 g and 4.79 mg. Processed dates, the soft packed kind, are lighter at 286 kcal because they hold more water, with less fibre at 6.5 g and much less iron at 0.89 mg, though more vitamin C, 15.5 mg. Chuhara is a fixture of Punjabi winter kitchens, and a date with water is how many Muslim families break the Ramzan fast.
What dates brings to a meal
- 01
Fibre among the top fruits
At 8.9 g dietary fibre per 100 g, pale brown dry dates rank 2nd of 43 fruits and 48th of 256 foods. Dark brown dates edge higher, at 9.1 g.
- 02
Potassium and magnesium
Dry dates carry 804 mg potassium and 74 mg magnesium per 100 g, 3rd among fruits for both. The magnesium meets about 17 per cent of a man's and 20 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
- 03
Iron, with a caveat
Pale brown dates give 3.2 mg iron per 100 g, 3rd of 43 fruits, and the dark brown kind 4.79 mg. Plant iron is poorly absorbed unless the meal also carries vitamin C, so pair dates with citrus or guava.
- 04
Mostly sugar
Of the 74.9 g carbohydrate in 100 g, 66.6 g is sugars, and the 320 kcal is the highest energy of any fruit in the tables. Dates make good quick fuel and a natural sweetener, but they are not a free food.
Dates nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 320 kcal | 15% | 19% |
| Protein | 2.5 g | 5% | 5% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 74.9 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 8.9 g | ||
| Free sugars | 66.6 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.3 g | ||
| Water | 11.1 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.16 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 19 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 71 mg | 7% | 7% |
| Iron | 3.2 mg | 17% | 11% |
| Zinc | 0.7 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Magnesium | 74 mg | 17% | 20% |
| Phosphorus | 73 mg | ||
| Potassium | 804 mg | ||
| Sodium | 3 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.36 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.8 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 4.4 mg | 6% | 7% |
| Beta-carotene | 2,700 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.03 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.47 mg | 8% | 11% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.14 mg | 6% | 7% |
| Folate (B9) | 19 µg | 6% | 9% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.02 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 3.3 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Dates: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/dates/
Where dates sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 43 fruits and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In fruits | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietary fibre | 8.9 g | 2nd of 43 | 48th of 182 |
| Iron | 3.2 mg | 3rd of 43 | 78th of 242 |
| Zinc | 0.7 mg | 2nd of 44 | 110th of 243 |
| Magnesium | 74 mg | 3rd of 43 | 73rd of 242 |
| Potassium | 804 mg | 3rd of 44 | 26th of 243 |
| Beta-carotene | 2,700 µg | 1st of 41 | 16th of 160 |
| Energy | 320 kcal | 1st of 44 | 55th of 257 |
Every form of dates in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates, dry, pale brown (shown above) | 320 kcal | 2.5 g | 8.9 g | 3.2 mg | 71 mg |
| Dry, dark brown | 311 kcal | 2.4 g | 9.1 g | 4.79 mg | 66 mg |
| Processed | 286 kcal | 1.2 g | 6.5 g | 0.89 mg | 16 mg |
How dates is eaten
- Chuhare wala doodh: dry dates simmered in milk until soft, a winter drink across Punjab and Haryana.
- Ground with nuts and seeds into panjiri or a dry fruit laddoo, sweetened by the dates alone.
- Khajur imli chutney, the sweet and sour date and tamarind chutney poured over chaat and samosa.
- Chopped into sheer khurma for Eid, with roasted vermicelli, milk and nuts.
- Soft dates blended into a milkshake or used in place of sugar in halwa and kheer.
Before you plan around it
Dates are sticky and very sweet, with 66.6 g sugars per 100 g, so they cling to teeth; rinse or brush afterwards, especially for children. Their 804 mg potassium per 100 g means people with kidney disease on a potassium limit should ask their dietitian before adding them freely. For anyone managing diabetes, each date is a sweet to be counted. Hard chuhara can crack a weak tooth, so soak it in milk or water first.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about dates
Are dates high in iron?
For a fruit, yes. IFCT 2017 lists 3.2 mg iron per 100 g of pale brown dry dates and 4.79 mg for dark brown ones, among the highest of any fruit. Pulses, leafy greens and meat carry more, and getting a day's iron from dates alone would mean eating a great deal of sugar.
What is the difference between chuhara and khajur?
Both are dates. Chuhara or kharek is the hard, fully dried fruit, and khajur usually means the soft, moist date. In IFCT 2017, pale brown dry dates have 320 kcal and 8.9 g fibre per 100 g, while processed soft dates have 286 kcal and 6.5 g fibre.
Can people with diabetes eat dates?
Sparingly. Dry dates carry 74.9 g carbohydrate per 100 g, most of it sugar, so even a few count. Eating one with nuts or as part of a meal is better than snacking on several. People on diabetes medication should plan this with their doctor or dietitian.
Why are dates eaten in winter?
They are a traditional winter food in north India, boiled in milk or ground into panjiri, partly because they are dense in energy at 320 kcal per 100 g. That suits the underweight or very active; anyone trying to lose weight should keep the portion small.
Related foods and tables
Raisins
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Fig
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Apricot (dried and processed)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Almond
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Jaggery
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Dates vs Raisins
Side by side, per 100 g.
How Many Dates Should You Eat a Day? Benefits for Women, Iron and Energy
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
All fruits
44 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.