Dates vs. Cocoa Powder
Nutrition comparison of Dates and Cocoa Powder
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
dates
versus
cocoa powder
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in dates and cocoa powder:
- Both dates and cocoa powder are high in calcium, calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Cocoa powder has more riboflavin, however, date contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Cocoa powder is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Dates (Dates, medjool) and Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both dates and cocoa powder are high in calories. Date has 21% more calories than cocoa powder - date has 277 calories per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, dates is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cocoa powder per calorie. Dates has a macronutrient ratio of 2:98:0 and for cocoa powder, 19:54:27 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Dates | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2% | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 98% | 54% |
| Fat | ~ | 27% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both dates and cocoa powder are high in carbohydrates. Date has 29% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - date has 75g of total carbs per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both dates and cocoa powder are high in dietary fiber. Cocoa powder has 452% more dietary fiber than date - date has 6.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 37g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Date is high in sugar and cocoa powder has 97% less sugar than date - date has 66.5g of sugar per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of protein and it has 983% more protein than date - date has 1.8g of protein per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cocoa powder is high in saturated fat and date has less saturated fat than cocoa powder - cocoa powder has 8.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and date does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Date has more Vitamin A than cocoa powder - date has 7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cocoa powder and dates contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cocoa powder has 0.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and date does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Dates and cocoa powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - date has 2.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cocoa powder has more riboflavin, however, date contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both dates and cocoa powder contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and folate.
| Dates | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.05 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 MG | 0.241 MG |
| Niacin | 1.61 MG | 2.185 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.805 MG | 0.254 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.249 MG | 0.118 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 32 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both dates and cocoa powder are high in calcium. Cocoa powder has 100% more calcium than date - date has 64mg of calcium per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
iron
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of iron and it has 14 times more iron than date - date has 0.9mg of iron per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron.
potassium
Both dates and cocoa powder are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 119% more potassium than date - date has 696mg of potassium per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1524mg 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 cocoa powder contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Dates | Cocoa Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) .
Dates g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cocoa Powder 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 dates or cocoa powder contain more calories in 100 grams?Both dates and cocoa powder are high in calories. Date has 20% more calories than cocoa powder - date has 277 calories in 100g and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
Does dates or cocoa powder have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both dates and cocoa powder are high in carbohydrates. date has 30% more carbohydrates than cocoa powder - date has 75g of carbs for 100g and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
Does dates or cocoa powder contain more calcium?
Both dates and cocoa powder are high in calcium. Cocoa powder has 100% more calcium than date - date has 64mg of calcium in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
Does dates or cocoa powder contain more iron?
Cocoa powder is an abundant source of iron and it has 14 times more iron than date - date has 0.9mg of iron in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron.
Does dates or cocoa powder contain more potassium?
Both dates and cocoa powder are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 120% more potassium than date - date has 696mg of potassium in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium.