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Mars vs. Dates — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are mars and dates different?

  • Mars is higher in calcium; however, dates are richer in fiber.
  • Daily need coverage for saturated fat for mars is 58% higher.
  • Mars contains 68 times more sodium than dates. While mars contains 136mg of sodium, dates contain only 2mg.
  • Dates have less saturated fat.
  • Dates have a lower glycemic index (42) than mars (62).

Candies, MARS SNACKFOOD US, M&M's Crispy Chocolate Candies and Dates, deglet noor are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Mars vs Dates 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.
Mars
1
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 0% 27% 0% 32% 0% 0% 0% 18% 0% 0%
Dates
9
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%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +130.8%
Contains more IronIron +18.6%
Contains less SodiumSodium -98.5%

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.
Mars
1
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 1.7% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Dates
9
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%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +25%
~equal in Vitamin A ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Mars
3
4% 19% 72% 2% 2%
Protein: 4.28 g
Fats: 19.32 g
Carbs: 72.4 g
Water: 1.7 g
Other: 2.3 g
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
Contains more ProteinProtein +74.7%
Contains more FatsFats +4853.8%
Contains more OtherOther +43.8%
Contains more WaterWater +1107.6%
~equal in Carbs ~75.03g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Mars
0
100%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 11.651 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0 g
Dates
3
37% 41% 22%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.032 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.036 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.019 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -99.7%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Mars Dates DV% diff.
Saturated fat 11.651g 0.032g 53%
Fats 19.32g 0.39g 29%
Fructose 19.56g 24%
Fiber 2g 8g 24%
Copper 0.206mg 23%
Potassium 656mg 19%
Vitamin B6 0.165mg 13%
Vitamin B5 0.589mg 12%
Manganese 0.262mg 11%
Calories 475kcal 282kcal 10%
Magnesium 43mg 10%
Phosphorus 62mg 9%
Vitamin B3 1.274mg 8%
Sodium 136mg 2mg 6%
Vitamin B2 0.066mg 5%
Selenium 3µg 5%
Folate 19µg 5%
Calcium 90mg 39mg 5%
Vitamin B1 0.052mg 4%
Protein 4.28g 2.45g 4%
Cholesterol 12mg 0mg 4%
Zinc 0.29mg 3%
Iron 0.86mg 1.02mg 2%
Vitamin K 2.7µg 2%
Choline 6.3mg 1%
Carbs 72.4g 75.03g 1%
Vitamin C 0.5mg 0.4mg 0%
Net carbs 70.4g 67.03g N/A
Sugar 58.94g 63.35g N/A
Vitamin E 0.05mg 0%
Trans fat 0.131g 0g N/A
Monounsaturated fat 0.036g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.019g 0%
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%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Mars Dates
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
0%
Mars
12%
Dates
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
8%
Mars
29%
Dates

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Mars
Mars is lower in Sugar (difference - 4.41g)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Dates
Dates is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 12mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Dates
Dates contains less Sodium (difference - 134mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Dates
Dates is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 11.619g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Dates
Dates is lower in glycemic index (difference - 20)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Dates
Dates is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Dates
Dates is relatively richer in vitamins
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. Mars - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168814/nutrients
  2. Dates - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171726/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.