# How Many Dates Should You Eat at Iftar? Calories by Variety

> Calories, sugar, fibre and potassium per date and per 100 g for Medjool, Deglet Noor, Khalas, Sukkari, Ajwa and Safawi, what 3, 5 or 7 dates add to iftar, glycaemic index by variety, and how to log dates without guessing.

Canonical: https://www.mycallie.app/en/blog/dates-calories-iftar
Published: 2026-10-23 · Updated: 2026-10-23
Author: Md Sadab Wasim · Source: https://www.mycallie.app

## Key takeaways

- Size matters more than variety. A 24 g Medjool has about 66 kcal and a 7.1 g Deglet Noor about 20 kcal (USDA). Gulf varieties measured in lab studies weigh 8.5–12.2 g and come to roughly 19–31 kcal each.
- Three dates cost 60 kcal if they are Deglet Noor and about 200 kcal if they are Medjool. Seven Medjool dates are about 465 kcal, half of a 900 kcal iftar.
- Per 100 g, most dates land near 270–310 kcal, with 61–73 g of sugar. The difference between varieties per gram is small. The difference per date is large.
- Dates have a low to medium glycaemic index: 43.4 for Sukkari, 55.9 for Ajwa, 55.3 for Medjool and 61.7 for Khudri in a 2016 Saudi study, and 55.1 for Khalas in a 2011 UAE study.
- Stuffed and chocolate-coated dates change the maths. One chocolate-covered almond-filled date on a US label is 50 kcal, and a Medjool with a tablespoon of tahini is about 155 kcal.
- If you have diabetes, agree your iftar plan with your doctor before Ramadan. Dates are usually allowed, but the quantity matters.

Callie is our app. It comes up in one section near the end. Every figure links to its source, listed at the bottom. Where we calculated a number ourselves, the table or sentence says so.

## The 30-second answer

**Three dates add about 60 to 200 kcal to iftar, depending on the variety.** USDA lists a pitted Medjool at [24 g and 277 kcal per 100 g](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168191/nutrients), so about 66 kcal each. A Deglet Noor weighs [7.1 g at 282 kcal per 100 g](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171726/nutrients), about 20 kcal each. Gulf varieties sit in between. In a [2024 lab study](https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194606) of Saudi dates, an Ajwa weighed 8.50 g and a Sukkari 12.2 g.

On a typical iftar of about 900 kcal (half of an 1,800 kcal day), three small dates use 7% of it and seven Medjool dates use about half. The Dubai Health Authority's Ramadan guide [says to](https://www.dha.gov.ae/uploads/022022/Balanced%20healthy%20eating%20habits%20during%20Ramadan_En2022250368.pdf) "Start with a few dates, drink a glass of water or Laban to avoid indigestion, and then eat your main meal after a while." For most people, three is a good default. Weigh one of yours to know which end of the range you're at.

## Calories in dates by variety

Per 100 g, dates are similar. Per date, they are not, because a Medjool can weigh three times as much as an Ajwa. The table puts both side by side.

| Variety | Weight per date | kcal per date | kcal per 100 g | Sugar, g per 100 g | Fibre, g per 100 g | Potassium, mg per 100 g | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medjool | 24 g, pitted | 66 | 277 | 66.5 | 6.7 | 696 | USDA SR Legacy 168191 (2019) |
| Deglet Noor | 7.1 g, pitted | 20 | 282 | 63.4 | 8.0 | 656 | USDA SR Legacy 171726 (2019) |
| Sukkari (Saudi) | 12.2 g whole, 11.1 g flesh | about 31* | about 279* | 63.1 | 7.6 | 625 (label) | Jaouhari 2024; Natural Delights label |
| Safawi (Saudi) | 11.4 g whole, 10.6 g flesh | about 31* | about 293* | 67.8 | 5.8 | not found | Jaouhari 2024 |
| Ajwa (Madinah) | 8.50 g whole, 7.18 g flesh | about 19* | about 270* | 61.0 | 7.1 | 875 (label) | Jaouhari 2024; Natural Delights label |
| Khalas (UAE) | about 7–10 g flesh* | about 23–32* | about 311* | 72.7 | 2.5 (crude fibre) | 431 | Rambabu 2020; Alkaabi 2011 |

\*Our calculation. The Gulf studies measured sugar, protein, fat, fibre and moisture but not calories, so we applied standard factors (4 kcal per g of sugar and protein, 9 per g of fat, 2 per g of fibre). The same method gives 288 kcal for USDA's Medjool, about 4% above its listed 277, so treat starred values as close estimates. [Jaouhari and colleagues (2024)](https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194606) reported sugar and fibre on a dry basis; we converted them using each sample's moisture (12.7–14.6%). The Khalas weight comes from [Alkaabi (2011)](https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-59), where 72.6 g of flesh equalled "7-10 dates". Khalas sugar and potassium are from [Rambabu (2020)](https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8030256), which measured 20.5% moisture.

We found no fresh-weight composition data for Khudri, so it appears only in the glycaemic index section.

## 3 dates vs 5 vs 7

Three Deglet Noor dates are 60 kcal. Seven Medjool dates are 465 kcal. Everything else falls between, and the table shows where.

| Variety | 3 dates | 5 dates | 7 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deglet Noor (7.1 g) | 60 kcal | 100 kcal | 140 kcal |
| Ajwa (7.18 g flesh) | about 58 kcal | about 97 kcal | about 136 kcal |
| Khalas (7–10 g flesh) | about 68–97 kcal | about 114–162 kcal | about 159–226 kcal |
| Sukkari or Safawi (about 11 g flesh) | about 93 kcal | about 155 kcal | about 217 kcal |
| Medjool (24 g) | 199 kcal | 332 kcal | 465 kcal |

Medjool and Deglet Noor rows use USDA values. The others are our estimates from the composition table above.

Sugar follows the same pattern. Three Medjool dates carry about 48 g of sugar, using USDA's 66.5 g per 100 g. Three Deglet Noor dates carry about 13 g. Under WHO's [healthy diet guidance](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet) (updated January 2026), the limit of under 10% of energy applies to free sugars: sugars added to food, plus those in honey, syrups and fruit juice. Sugar inside a whole date doesn't count as free sugar. Date syrup does. The calories count the same either way.

## How many dates fit a typical iftar?

Three dates fit almost any iftar, and five fit most. Past that, the dates start to crowd out the meal. The arithmetic below uses the split from our [Ramadan calorie guide](/blog/ramadan-calorie-tracking-guide), where iftar is about half the day.

| Daily target | Iftar share (about 50%) | 3 Medjool | 3 Deglet Noor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 kcal | about 750 kcal | 27% of iftar | 8% of iftar |
| 1,800 kcal | about 900 kcal | 22% of iftar | 7% of iftar |
| 2,200 kcal | about 1,100 kcal | 18% of iftar | 5% of iftar |

The dates are rarely the whole story. They often come alongside a sweet drink, a fried starter and a dessert after taraweeh. If you're trying to lose weight, pick small dates for the fast-breaking and save the Medjool for a day when the rest of the meal is light. If your weight has crept up in past Ramadans, our [Ramadan weight gain research](/blog/ramadan-weight-gain-research) explains where it usually comes from. For the main dishes that follow the dates, see our [UAE food calories](/blog/uae-food-calories) list.

## Why iftar starts with dates

Breaking the fast with dates is a Sunnah for Muslims, and it comes from religious practice, not nutrition science. [Sunan Abi Dawud 2356](https://sunnah.com/abudawud:2356), narrated by Anas ibn Malik, reports that the Prophet broke his fast before praying with fresh dates (rutab). If there were none, he used dried dates (tamr), and if there were none, a few sips of water.

That narration doesn't name a number. Many families break the fast with an odd number, most often three. The hadith most often quoted for odd numbers, [Sahih al-Bukhari 953](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:953), describes eating dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer. We're not the right people to rule on practice, so ask a scholar you trust about the religious side.

What we can add is the calorie side. Fresh dates hold about 30–40% water against 10–20% for sun-dried ones, per the 2024 study, so rutab carries fewer calories per gram than tamr. Every lab value in this article is for dried tamr, the stage sold in most boxes. If you eat rutab in season, the table above will overstate your calories slightly.

## Glycaemic index of dates by variety

Most dates tested in Gulf studies have a low to medium glycaemic index (GI). Varieties differ, but the 2016 study below found the differences weren't statistically significant.

| Variety | GI (healthy adults) | Glycaemic load per 3 dates | Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sukkari | 43.4 | 11.7 | AlGeffari 2016, Saudi Arabia |
| Medjool (Saudi-grown) | 55.3 | 17.2 | AlGeffari 2016 |
| Ajwa | 55.9 | 8.5 | AlGeffari 2016 |
| Khudri | 61.7 | 14.2 | AlGeffari 2016 |
| Khalas | 55.1 (53.0 in type 2 diabetes) | not reported | Alkaabi 2011, UAE |

[AlGeffari and colleagues (2016)](https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2016.397) tested 17 Saudi varieties in 19 healthy adults. The mean GI was 55.2, with a range of 42.8 to 74.6, and glycaemic load per three-date serving ran from 8.5 to 24. In their grouping, a GI under 55 is low, 56–69 medium and 70 or more high, so Medjool and Ajwa sit on the line. [Alkaabi and colleagues (2011)](https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-59) tested five UAE varieties and also cite international tables putting the mean GI of dates at 42 ± 4.

GI doesn't change the calorie count. The same 2011 paper adds: "The caloric content, however, should be accounted for in any meal plan, as dates are rich in energy." Safawi and Deglet Noor weren't tested in either study.

## Dates and diabetes in Ramadan

People with diabetes can usually eat some dates at iftar, but the number belongs in a plan agreed with their doctor. In the 2011 UAE study, 10 adults with type 2 diabetes, managed with diet or metformin, ate 50 g of available carbohydrate from dates. That's about 72–76 g of flesh, or 7 to 10 dates. The authors found no "significant postprandial glucose excursions" and concluded the findings "point to the potential benefits of dates for diabetic subjects when used in a healthy balanced diet."

That result is narrower than it sounds. It covered 10 people, none on insulin, eating dates on their own after an overnight fast rather than as part of a full iftar. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's [Ramadan diabetes guideline](https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/media/271477/ramadan-amended-v3.pdf) (approved February 2022) puts it this way: "Dates, which are the traditional food to be consumed when opening the fast can be consumed, but an excessive quantity should be avoided, particularly if other sugar-rich foods are being consumed at the same time."

This section is general information. If you have diabetes, speak to your doctor or diabetes team before Ramadan about whether fasting is safe for you, how to adjust medication, and how many dates fit your plan. This matters most if you use insulin or sulfonylureas. Break your fast straight away if you have symptoms of low blood sugar. Our [carb counting guide for diabetes](/blog/diabetes-carb-counting-app) covers tracking carbohydrates, not dosing.

## How to log dates: count vs weight

Weigh once, then log by count. That gets you most of a scale's accuracy without weighing every iftar.

1. **Weigh five of your dates.** Use the box you actually bought. Divide by five. A pitted Medjool is 24 g in USDA data, but a Saudi-grown Medjool in the 2016 GI study worked out at about 15 g per date by our arithmetic from its serving data. Size varies by farm and grade.
2. **Pick the right variety.** "Date" with no variety in a food database is often Medjool or Deglet Noor, which are three times apart per date.
3. **Subtract the stone if you weigh whole.** Seeds were 1.33 g of an 8.50 g Ajwa and 1.18 g of a 12.2 g Sukkari in the 2024 study.
4. **Check the label's count.** Natural Delights lists its [Sukkari](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2592401/nutrients) at 130 kcal and its [Ajwa](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2659689/nutrients) at 140 kcal per "2 dates" (40 g). That implies 20 g dates, more than twice the Ajwa size measured in the lab. Labels round servings, so your scale beats the label's count.

If you'd rather not own a scale, our article on [whether you need a food scale with an AI tracker](/blog/do-you-need-a-food-scale-with-ai-tracker) covers when estimates are good enough.

## The stuffed and chocolate date trap

A filled or coated date can carry two to eight times the calories of a plain small one. Values below are from labels in USDA FoodData Central and from USDA nut entries.

| Item | Portion | Calories | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain Deglet Noor | 1 date (7.1 g) | 20 kcal | USDA 171726 |
| Plain Medjool | 1 date (24 g) | 66 kcal | USDA 168191 |
| Medjool with 1 almond | 24 g plus 1.2 g | about 73 kcal | USDA 168191 and 170567 |
| Medjool with half a walnut | 24 g plus 2 g | about 79 kcal | USDA 168191 and 170187 |
| Medjool with 1 tbsp tahini | 24 g plus 15 g | about 155 kcal | USDA 168191 and 170189 |
| Natural Delights almond date roll | 1 piece (20 g) | 70 kcal | Label, FDC 2677692 |
| Great Value chocolate-covered almond-filled dates | 2 pieces (26 g) | 100 kcal, 3 g fat | Label, FDC 2327767 |
| Ethel M date collection (chocolate) | 24 g serving | 120 kcal, 7 g fat | Label, FDC 2571976 |

The chocolate pieces are smaller than a Medjool, so they look harmless on a plate. Per 100 g, the Great Value product is 385 kcal and the Ethel M one 500 kcal, against 277 for a plain Medjool. Gift boxes from Gulf date shops often mix plain, nut-filled and chocolate pieces in one tray. Log each type separately, and use the box label if it has one.

## How Callie fits in

Callie can log dates by photo, voice or text, and it shows every detected item, portion and calorie value on a review screen before anything is saved.

- **Check the variety and count.** A photo of a plate of dates is easy to misread. On the review screen, correct the variety and number before you confirm.
- **Arabic interface.** The app runs in Arabic with a right-to-left layout, alongside English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. You can type "٣ تمرات خلاص" or say it.
- **AI coach in any language.** Ask how many dates fit what's left of today's target, in Arabic or any other language.
- **Fasting timer.** Set it to your suhoor and iftar times.

Two limits. Callie has no offline mode yet, so if you break your fast somewhere without signal, take the photo and log it later. And its database won't know your local shop's box, so weigh a few dates once and enter that weight. Callie is free to download with 3 AI logs to try it, then $34.99 a year (AED 99.99 in the UAE). Our [Arabic calorie app comparison](/blog/best-calorie-tracker-app-in-arabic) covers Arabic-first alternatives.

## When counting dates is the wrong focus

For many people, dates are the smallest part of iftar, and counting them closely isn't worth it.

- **If you're maintaining weight**, three dates and water is a sound routine. The fried starters, sweet drinks and desserts later in the evening move the total far more.
- **If you have diabetes**, your doctor's plan and your glucose readings outrank any calorie table, including this one.
- **If you have a history of disordered eating**, skip the numbers in Ramadan and speak to a clinician.
- **If you want micronutrient detail** such as potassium tracked daily, Callie doesn't track micronutrients. Cronometer is the better pick for that.

## Sources

1. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2019). "Dates, medjool," FDC 168191 (accessed October 23, 2026). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168191/nutrients
2. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2019). "Dates, deglet noor," FDC 171726 (accessed October 23, 2026). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171726/nutrients
3. Jaouhari Y, Disca V, Ferreira-Santos P, et al. (2024). "Valorization of Date Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) as a Potential Functional Food and Ingredient: Characterization of Fiber, Oligosaccharides, and Antioxidant Polyphenols." *Molecules* 29(19):4606. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194606
4. Rambabu K, Bharath G, Hai A, et al. (2020). "Nutritional Quality and Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Selected Date Fruit Varieties of the United Arab Emirates." *Processes* 8(3):256. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr8030256
5. Alkaabi JM, Al-Dabbagh B, Ahmad S, et al. (2011). "Glycemic indices of five varieties of dates in healthy and diabetic subjects." *Nutrition Journal* 10:59. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-59
6. AlGeffari MA, Almogbel ES, Alhomaidan HT, El-Mergawi R, Barrimah IA (2016). "Glycemic indices, glycemic load and glycemic response for seventeen varieties of dates grown in Saudi Arabia." *Annals of Saudi Medicine* 36(6):397-403. https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2016.397
7. USDA FoodData Central, Branded Foods (label data, published 2022–2023; accessed October 23, 2026): Natural Delights Sukkari 2592401, Natural Delights Ajwa Al Medina 2659689, Natural Delights almond date rolls 2677692, Great Value chocolate-covered almond-filled dates 2327767, Ethel M date collection 2571976. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
8. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (accessed October 23, 2026): almonds 170567, walnuts 170187, tahini 170189. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
9. Dubai Health Authority (2022). "Balanced healthy eating habits during Ramadan." https://www.dha.gov.ae/uploads/022022/Balanced%20healthy%20eating%20habits%20during%20Ramadan_En2022250368.pdf
10. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (approved February 19, 2022). "Diabetes, Management of Diabetes Mellitus During Ramadan," clinical guideline version 4. https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/media/271477/ramadan-amended-v3.pdf
11. World Health Organization (January 26, 2026). "Healthy diet" fact sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
12. Sunan Abi Dawud 2356, Book of Fasting. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:2356
13. Sahih al-Bukhari 953, Book of the Two Eids. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:953

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: How many calories are in 3 dates?**
A: It depends on the variety and size. Three Deglet Noor dates are about 60 kcal and three Medjool dates about 199 kcal, using USDA weights of 7.1 g and 24 g per pitted date. Three Ajwa dates of the size measured in a 2024 lab study come to roughly 58 kcal, and three Sukkari or Safawi dates to roughly 93 kcal. Those Gulf figures are our estimates from the study's composition data.

**Q: Is it Sunnah to break the fast with 3 dates?**
A: Breaking the fast with dates is a well-known Sunnah. Sunan Abi Dawud 2356 reports that the Prophet broke his fast with fresh dates, then dried dates, then water if there were none. The narration does not set a number. Many families use an odd number, often three, and the hadith usually cited for odd numbers (Sahih al-Bukhari 953) describes the morning of Eid al-Fitr. For rulings, ask a scholar you trust. This article only covers the calories.

**Q: Which dates have the fewest calories?**
A: Per date, the small ones. Deglet Noor (about 20 kcal) and Ajwa (about 19 kcal for an 8.5 g fruit) are the lightest in our table. Per 100 g, the varieties are close: USDA lists Medjool at 277 kcal and Deglet Noor at 282 kcal, and our estimates for Ajwa, Sukkari, Safawi and Khalas fall between 270 and 311 kcal.

**Q: Are dates OK for people with diabetes during Ramadan?**
A: Often yes, in limited amounts, but ask your doctor first. A 2011 UAE study found Khalas dates had a GI of 53.0 in people with type 2 diabetes, and an NHS clinical guideline says dates can be eaten at iftar but an excessive quantity should be avoided, especially alongside other sugary foods. Your medication and glucose targets decide your number, not this table.

**Q: Should I log dates by count or by weight?**
A: Weigh them once, then log by count. Weigh five of the dates you actually buy, divide by five, and you have your own per-date weight. Logging a generic 'date' can be off by more than three times, because a Medjool weighs over three times as much as a Deglet Noor.

**Q: Do the calories in dates count as sugar I should limit?**
A: WHO's limit of under 10% of energy applies to free sugars: sugars added to food plus those in honey, syrups and fruit juices. Sugars inside whole dates are not free sugars under that definition. Date syrup is. The calories count the same either way, which is why the portion still matters.