Dates vs. Bittersweet Chocolate
Nutrition comparison of Dates and Bittersweet Chocolate
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
dates
versus
bittersweet chocolate
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in dates and bittersweet chocolate:
- Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in calcium, calories, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, however, date contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Dates (Dates, medjool) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 132% more calories than date - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and date has 277 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, dates is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to bittersweet chocolate per calorie. Dates has a macronutrient ratio of 2:98:0 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Dates | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 98% | 18% |
| Fat | ~ | 73% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Date is high in carbohydrates and bittersweet chocolate has 62% less carbohydrates than date - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and date has 75g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in dietary fiber. Bittersweet chocolate has 148% more dietary fiber than date - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and date has 6.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Date is high in sugar and bittersweet chocolate has 99% less sugar than date - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and date has 66.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of protein and it has 691% more protein than date - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and date has 1.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Bittersweet chocolate is high in saturated fat and date has less saturated fat than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and date does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are low in cholesterol - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and date does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Date has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - date has 7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Bittersweet chocolate has more Vitamin E than date - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and date does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Bittersweet chocolate and dates contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and date has 2.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Bittersweet chocolate has more thiamin, however, date contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both dates and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Dates | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.05 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Niacin | 1.61 MG | 1.355 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.805 MG | 0.168 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.249 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 28 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in calcium. Bittersweet chocolate has 58% more calcium than date - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and date has 64mg of calcium.
iron
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than date - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and date has 0.9mg of iron.
potassium
Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 19% more potassium than date - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and date has 696mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, both dates and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Dates | Bittersweet Chocolate | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 89 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 UG | 38 UG |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Dates (Dates, medjool) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .
Dates g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Bittersweet Chocolate g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does bittersweet chocolate or dates contain more calories in 100 grams?Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 130% more calories than date - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and date has 277 calories.
Does bittersweet chocolate or dates have more carbohydrates?
By weight, date is high in carbohydrates and bittersweet chocolate has 60% fewer carbohydrates than date - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of carbs for 100g and date has 75g of carbohydrates.
Does bittersweet chocolate or dates contain more calcium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in calcium. Bittersweet chocolate has 60% more calcium than date - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and date has 64mg of calcium.
Does bittersweet chocolate or dates contain more iron?
Bittersweet chocolate is an abundant source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than date - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and date has 0.9mg of iron.
Does bittersweet chocolate or dates contain more potassium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and dates are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 20% more potassium than date - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and date has 696mg of potassium.