Chestnuts vs Dates – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing chestnuts to dates, we picked the chestnuts.

Why?

Both are great! But…

In terms of macros, they are comparable for fiber and protein while dates have more carbs, giving dates the higher glycemic index, thus generally making chestnuts the better option in this category.

In the category of vitamins, chestnuts have more of vitamins A, B1, B3, B6, B9, and C, while dates have more of vitamins B3 and B5, giving chestnuts a 6:2 win in this round.

Looking at minerals, chestnuts have more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium, while dates have (slightly) more zinc, thus yielding a 7:1 victory to chestnuts here.

In other considerations, they’re both good for polyphenols, but chestnuts have more, with an entire 1g/100g of ellagic acid and gallic acid, which is a huge number rarely seen in such measurements.

Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for chestnuts, but by all means do enjoy either or both, as diversity is great, unless you have a nut allergy, in which case, please do stick to the dates on this one!

Want to learn more?

You might like:

21 Most Beneficial Polyphenols & What Foods Have Them

Enjoy!