Wow... we have been going nuts on Dates and I've been feeling kind of weird cause they are just like candy!  Wow... They really calm the sweet tooth.

So I looked on the back of the package of the kind we purchase from Amazon (at a great rate):

Health Best Certified Organic Medjool Dates -16 oz

And found that 4 of these little goodies only have 81 calories and 10 GRAMS of protein!  Ha... Never heard of a fruit having so much protein!

I never ever ate dates in my life until the GTD came out!  My hubby used to eat them in front of me and I'd look at them and think YUCK!  How can he eat something so ugly!

Little did I know!!!

If you think that's good, try stuffing a date with an almond or almond butter!

Funky, I don't want to rain your dates, but this is a partial content of 100 gramsof Medjool dates from the USDA:

Calories--------277.00
Protein-----------1.81 grams
Carbs------------74.97 grams
Sugar------------66.5 grams (1 T. sugar has 99.91 grams)
Potassium ------696.00 grams

Quoted from 2330

Funky, I don't want to rain your dates, but this is a partial content of 100 gramsof Medjool dates from the USDA:

Calories--------277.00
Protein-----------1.81 grams
Carbs------------74.97 grams
Sugar------------66.5 grams (1 T. sugar has 99.91 grams)
Potassium ------696.00 grams

Well... that is really strange.  I will email t he company and find out if they are lying about 4 dates having 81 calories.  You  know dates are pretty small.  And these come with the seeds.  

Larabars are made mostly from dates.  I was bummed when I found out that dates are black dot avoids on my new GTD.

Correction 2008-03-04:  dates are avoids for Explorers, not black dot avoids.

patience!
you ll be there in no time!

Quoted from SquarePeg

Larabars are made mostly from dates.  I was bummed when I found out that dates are black dot avoids on my new GTD.

For Explorers dates are a flat out avoid. Which really is a bummer since so many of the more "healthy" snacks use them as a sweetner.  

Thanks for the correction.  I'm not really following the GTD, so I'd forgotten whether dates are black dotted.

Don't fret about the calories, whatever they turn out to be.
If a food is healthy, calories aren't that important. Usually healthy foods that are high calorie are very satisfying & may contribute to weight loss!
Mrs "T"    O+  

Quoted from Mrs T O+

Don't fret about the calories, whatever they turn out to be.
If a food is healthy, calories aren't that important. Usually healthy foods that are high calorie are very satisfying & may contribute to weight loss!
Mrs "T"    O+  

I agree 100%! I've believed this to be true for a long time and now this 'Explorer' diet is proving it to be true for me. This diet is definitely higher in calories than my 'B' diet was, but I have actually lost some weight in the past few weeks, even though weight loss was not my goal.

Funny how that works!

Quoted from 2330

Funky, I don't want to rain your dates, but this is a partial content of 100 gramsof Medjool dates from the USDA:

Calories--------277.00
Protein-----------1.81 grams
Carbs------------74.97 grams
Sugar------------66.5 grams (1 T. sugar has 99.91 grams)
Potassium ------696.00 grams

Alright gosh darn it...

The package has 16 oz or 454 Grams of dates; and that divided by 11 servings is 41.27 grams per serving (4 dates).

So 2-1/2 servings is approx. 100 grams.  2-1/2 servings according to the package is 202 calories.  So we are getting closer to what the USDA says at 2-1/2 servings.  

But I'm only eating 4 dates which according to the package is 81 Calories.  I would think calculating according to the USDA would only be slightly more.

The huge discrepancy I think is in the protein statement.

Funky, the protein amount was the reason I posted the numbers from the USDA. I don't worry about calories on the GTD. Too many carbs are my problem, but that doesn't mean they are to many other people. I hope I can eat dates again eventually.  They are a black dot for me. I love them with almonds too. Ummmmm!

I'd be skeptical of the nutrition differences - AS in the USDA ones wouldn't be sourced necessarily from a "natural" source - In that like other dried fruits can contain any number of additves ie: sulfating & sugar syrups, etc.
As long as the package states NO additives...

Also, there are many different kinds of dates besides Medjool, and have way different tastes and textures ie:nutritional content.

Quoted from Schluggell

I'd be skeptical of the nutrition differences - AS in the USDA ones wouldn't be sourced necessarily from a "natural" source - In that like other dried fruits can contain any number of additves ie: sulfating & sugar syrups, etc.
As long as the package states NO additives...

Also, there are many different kinds of dates besides Medjool, and have way different tastes and textures ie:nutritional content.

As I stated earlier, the quote from the USDA was for Medjool dates.

medjool dates are the very soft sweet ones!!! heaven!!!

Quoted from beetnik

If you think that's good, try stuffing a date with an almond or almond butter!

Or rolling it in coconut...oops.  

Quoted from 2330

Funky, I don't want to rain your dates, but this is a partial content of 100 gramsof Medjool dates from the USDA:

Calories--------277.00
Protein-----------1.81 grams
Carbs------------74.97 grams
Sugar------------66.5 grams (1 T. sugar has 99.91 grams)
Potassium ------696.00 grams

It looks wrong with Potassium to be so high at 696.00 grams per 100 grams. I think it should read 696.00 milligrams.

Quoted from Alek

It looks wrong with Potassium to be so high at 696.00 grams per 100 grams. I think it should read 696.00 milligrams.

You are absolutely right. We'll get these dates right eventually! Sky high protein and sky high potassium would be some little old food, wouldn't it?

Not to mention that it would be the only substance known with one of its constituents 7 times greater than the substance itself!

Quoted from SquarePeg

Not to mention that it would be the only substance known with one of its constituents 7 times greater than the substance itself!

Well, then, why did you?  

YES!  Medjool dates!!!!  I had my first one today and I was blown away by the taste and the texture.  I was expecting the sort of prune/fig kind of sweet...but no, they are on a whole other level!  I said in another thread it tasted like brown sugar fudge to me.  YUM!  Not something I could eat more than one of, or eat too often, but man when I want a treat....oh yeah, baby!

Got some deglet noor ones too, not as sweet and drier, but good too.  Superfoods rock!  

Well, the Warrior's day will come before we know it and WE can enjoy these tasty treats again! Can't wait!

God I can relate.  I didn't buy them much before I found out they were Teacher Superfoods.  They are so yummy - soft and sweet and full of a perfumy flavor.  I can't get enough!