All fruit can be a nutritious part of a Paleo lifestyle, but beware of their sugar content. At around 80% sugar when ripe, dates are among the sweetest fruits of all. Because of this, dates are best eaten in moderation and only occasionally.
A Nutritious Substitute For Sugar
On the other hand, because they are so sweet, dates can make a great sweetener in almost any dish. Chop them up and add them to a pudding or a cake and you won’t need to add any processed cane sugar. The dates will provide an all-natural sweetener by themselves.
The sugar isn’t the whole story, though. This particular fruit contains significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, making it a very nutritious treat.
Mark Sisson also includes dates among the fruits with significant amounts of antioxidants.