📊 Full nutrition facts — per 100g
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily value | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 277 kcal | 14% | |
| Carbohydrates | 75.0g | 25% | |
| Dietary fibre | 6.7g | 24% | |
| Sugars | 63.4g | — | |
| GI (Glycaemic Index) | ~42 — Low (Medjool) | — | |
| Protein | 1.8g | 4% | |
| Potassium | 696mg | 15% | |
| Magnesium | 54mg | 14% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.24mg | 15% | |
| Copper | 0.36mg | 18% | |
| Iron | 0.9mg | 5% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.6mg | 10% |
Based on Australian NRV. Source: FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database.
📈 Glycaemic index (GI)
💊 Key vitamins & minerals
✅ Health benefits
Despite being approximately 63% sugar, dates have a surprisingly low GI of ~42 — comfortably in the low-GI range. This is because their sugar is a combination of fructose (which is processed by the liver rather than causing a direct blood glucose spike) and a significant 6.7g of fibre that slows glucose absorption. Dates provide faster energy than complex carbohydrates but with a more sustained release than refined sugar products.
Dates provide an unusually concentrated combination of minerals important for bone health: 18% RDI of copper (essential for collagen synthesis and bone matrix formation), 14% RDI of magnesium (bone mineralisation) and 15% RDI of potassium (reduces urinary calcium excretion). This mineral combination makes dates particularly valuable for bone health in middle age and beyond.
Multiple randomised controlled trials have found that women who ate dates regularly in the final weeks of pregnancy had shorter first-stage labour times, higher cervical dilation on admission, more spontaneous labour onset and lower rates of augmentation. The proposed mechanism involves tannins (which stimulate contractions) and compounds that bind oxytocin receptors. While not definitive, the evidence is unusually strong for a dietary intervention in obstetrics.
Dates contain both soluble (pectin) and insoluble fibre that together provide strong prebiotic activity, promoting Bifidobacterium growth in the colon. Tannins and polyphenols in dates also exert direct antimicrobial effects against certain pathogenic bacteria. Population studies in date-consuming cultures consistently show favourable gut microbiome profiles.
⚠️ Who should limit or avoid
Despite the low GI, dates contain 63.4g of sugar per 100g — a very high absolute sugar load. People with diabetes or prediabetes must count dates carefully in their carbohydrate budget. Two Medjool dates (approximately 48g) contain 34g of carbohydrates — equivalent to two-thirds of a cup of cooked rice. The low GI does NOT mean dates are freely safe for diabetics — portion control is critical.
Medjool dates are large, sweet and extremely palatable — making them one of the easiest foods to overconsume. At 277 kcal/100g (approximately 80 kcal per single Medjool date), eating a handful without awareness can add 400–600 calories. Use dates as a sweetener substitute or a measured snack (2–3 dates) rather than unlimited snacking.
Dates are high in simple sugars and physically sticky — the combination that most strongly promotes tooth decay. The sugars adhere to tooth surfaces and the sticky texture resists rinsing. People with dental issues should rinse or brush after eating dates. Dates should not be given to young children as a regular snack without attention to dental hygiene.
🛒 How to select & buy dates
Medjool dates are large, soft, caramel-rich and moist — considered the premium eating variety. They have a honeyed, complex flavour and are sold fresh or semi-dried. Deglet Noor are smaller, firmer, drier and less sweet — better for baking and cooking where a less sweet, firmer texture is needed. Medjool dates are approximately 3–4x more expensive. For eating, energy balls and natural sweetening, Medjool is worth the premium.
Fresh, high-quality dates should be plump, shiny and slightly sticky to the touch. The skin should be smooth or slightly wrinkled — not cracked or crystallised. White sugar crystals on the surface (crystallisation) indicate the dates are old — still edible, but past peak quality. Avoid dates that are shrivelled, cracked or have off-white powdery residue beyond natural bloom.
Middle Eastern and Persian grocery stores in major Australian cities stock the widest range at the best prices — including fresh Medjool from Jordan and Israel and varieties like Barhi, Khudri and Zahidi not available elsewhere. Supermarket Medjool dates are convenient but more expensive. Health food stores often stock organic Medjool. For baking, bulk bins at health food stores offer excellent value for Deglet Noor and other varieties.
🧊 Storage tips & shelf life
Soft Medjool dates keep well at cool room temperature for 1–3 months in a sealed container. In warm Australian summers, the pantry may be too warm — refrigeration is recommended once temperatures exceed 25°C. Drier Deglet Noor dates keep longer at room temperature.
Best storage for Medjool dates in Australian conditions. Refrigeration keeps them moist, plump and fresh for up to 12 months. Bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before eating — cold dates are firmer and less aromatic. Dates do not absorb fridge odours if well-sealed.
Dates freeze exceptionally well — their high sugar content prevents them from freezing hard. Frozen dates remain soft and pliable and can be eaten directly from frozen (very firm but delicious as a frozen treat) or thawed for normal use. Ideal for buying in bulk during Ramadan season.
📖 About dates — complete guide
Dates are one of humanity's oldest cultivated foods — archaeobotanical evidence places date palm cultivation at least 7,000 years ago in the Persian Gulf region, and some evidence suggests earlier management of wild date palms in Arabia and North Africa. They were the primary sweetener of ancient Middle Eastern and North African civilisations long before cane sugar, and remain central to cultural and religious practice across the Islamic world — Ramadan iftar (the breaking of the fast) traditionally begins with dates and water, a practice with both cultural and physiological logic: the combination of glucose, fructose and potassium in dates rapidly restores blood sugar and electrolytes after a day of fasting.
The research into dates' effect on labour is one of the more unusual bodies of evidence in obstetric nutrition. A 2011 randomised trial in Jordan found women who consumed six dates daily for four weeks before their due date had significantly higher cervical dilation on admission, shorter first-stage labour and more spontaneous labour onset. Subsequent trials in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt replicated these findings with similar consistency. The proposed mechanism involves oxytocin receptor-binding compounds in dates (structurally similar to oxytocin used to induce labour) and tannins that have mild uterotonic properties. The evidence is considered promising by obstetric nutrition researchers but has not yet reached formal clinical guideline status in Australia — it nonetheless represents a striking example of food with documented and reproducible physiological effects.