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Dates vs. Chocolate — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are dates and chocolate different?

  • Dates are higher in vitamin B6; however, chocolate is richer in copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, caffeine, and vitamin B12.
  • Daily need coverage for saturated fat for chocolate is 92% higher.
  • Dates contain 4 times more vitamin B6 than chocolate. While dates contain 0.165mg of vitamin B6, chocolate contains only 0.042mg.
  • Dates have less saturated fat.
  • Chocolate has a lower glycemic index (23) than dates (42).

Dates, deglet noor and Chocolate, dark, 45- 59% cacao solids are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Dates vs Chocolate infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Dates
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 31% 12% 58% 38% 69% 7.9% 27% 0.26% 34% 16%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 104% 17% 49% 301% 343% 55% 88% 3.1% 185% 16%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +17.4%
Contains less SodiumSodium -91.7%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +239.5%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +43.6%
Contains more IronIron +686.3%
Contains more CopperCopper +399%
Contains more ZincZinc +593.1%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +232.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +441.6%
~equal in Selenium ~3µg

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Dates
8
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 1.3% 0% 1% 0% 13% 15% 24% 35% 38% 0% 6.8% 14% 3.4%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0.67% 11% 0% 6.3% 12% 14% 18% 9.7% 29% 20% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +108%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +32%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +75.7%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +98.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +292.9%
Contains more FolateFolate +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +980%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +200%
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Dates
2
2% 75% 21%
Protein: 2.45 g
Fats: 0.39 g
Carbs: 75.03 g
Water: 20.53 g
Other: 1.6 g
5% 31% 61% 2%
Protein: 4.88 g
Fats: 31.28 g
Carbs: 61.17 g
Water: 0.97 g
Other: 1.7 g
Contains more CarbsCarbs +22.7%
Contains more WaterWater +2016.5%
Contains more ProteinProtein +99.2%
Contains more FatsFats +7920.5%
~equal in Other ~1.7g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Dates
1
37% 41% 22%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.032 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.036 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.019 g
64% 33% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 18.519 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 9.54 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.092 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -99.8%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +26400%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +5647.4%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Dates
3
38% 31% 31%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 23.84 g
Glucose: 19.87 g
Fructose: 19.56 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.12 g
Galactose: 0 g
97% 3%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 46.25 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 1.65 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +∞%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +94%
Contains more LactoseLactose +∞%
~equal in Starch ~0g
~equal in Galactose ~0g

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Dates Chocolate
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in price Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Dates Chocolate DV% diff.
Copper 0.206mg 1.028mg 91%
Iron 1.02mg 8.02mg 88%
Saturated fat 0.032g 18.519g 84%
Manganese 0.262mg 1.419mg 50%
Fats 0.39g 31.28g 48%
Magnesium 43mg 146mg 25%
Fructose 19.56g 0g 24%
Monounsaturated fat 0.036g 9.54g 24%
Phosphorus 62mg 206mg 21%
Zinc 0.29mg 2.01mg 16%
Calories 282kcal 546kcal 13%
Caffeine 0mg 43mg 11%
Vitamin B12 0µg 0.23µg 10%
Vitamin B6 0.165mg 0.042mg 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.019g 1.092g 7%
Vitamin B5 0.589mg 0.297mg 6%
Folate 19µg 5%
Carbs 75.03g 61.17g 5%
Protein 2.45g 4.88g 5%
Vitamin K 2.7µg 8.1µg 5%
Fiber 8g 7g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 8mg 3%
Vitamin E 0.05mg 0.54mg 3%
Vitamin B3 1.274mg 0.725mg 3%
Potassium 656mg 559mg 3%
Vitamin B1 0.052mg 0.025mg 2%
Calcium 39mg 56mg 2%
Choline 6.3mg 1%
Sodium 2mg 24mg 1%
Vitamin B2 0.066mg 0.05mg 1%
Vitamin C 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 67.03g 54.17g N/A
Sugar 63.35g 47.9g N/A
Vitamin A 0µg 2µg 0%
Selenium 3µg 3µg 0%
Trans fat 0g 0.112g N/A
Tryptophan 0.012mg 0%
Threonine 0.043mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.049mg 0%
Leucine 0.084mg 0%
Lysine 0.066mg 0%
Methionine 0.022mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.05mg 0%
Valine 0.071mg 0%
Histidine 0.032mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0g 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.085g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0g 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.947g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Dates Chocolate
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
12%
Dates
9%
Chocolate
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
29%
Dates
116%
Chocolate

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Dates
Dates is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 8mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Dates
Dates contains less Sodium (difference - 22mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Dates
Dates is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 18.487g)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Dates
Dates is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Chocolate
Chocolate is lower in Sugar (difference - 15.45g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Chocolate
Chocolate is lower in glycemic index (difference - 19)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Chocolate
Chocolate is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($2)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Dates - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171726/nutrients
  2. Chocolate - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170271/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.