Fruits are some of the most popular healthy snacks around – but is dried fruit good for you? In this article, we will take a deep dive into dried fruit, and look at its advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of. By the end of it, you’re going to know the shocking truth about dried fruit (spoiler – it’s amazing).
At Natural Health 4 Life, we offer an array of dried fruit and also candied fruit to suit everyone’s tastes. Not only that, but we have all kinds of speciality nuts, including almonds, cashews and so much more. We even talk about why adding superfoods, like nuts, are beneficial in your diet – you’re bound to learn more than you bargained for.
Dried fruit is, as the name suggests, fruit that has had most of its water content removed, hence drying it out. When fruit gets dried, it shrinks to create much smaller fruit pieces – but these pieces of fruit are packed full of nutrients and energy.
There are all kinds of dried fruit out there for you to enjoy, and you’ve probably passed by a lot of them on your runs to the supermarket. Even if you don’t realise it, you’ve probably enjoyed dried fruit in all kinds of dishes, too!
Some of the most popular dried fruits include:
Raisins (dried grapes)
Dates
Apricots
Peaches
Bananas
Apples
Cranberries
Mangoes
Prunes
Figs
You could dry just about any kind of fruit you like, provided you have the space and time to get the job done. So, if you think of a particular fruit that you think would be amazing dried, why not try making it yourself?
You can easily make your own dried fruit in the comfort of your own home, and it’s incredibly easy. In fact, you can dry your own fruit with just an oven – how easy is that?
All you need to do is follow the steps below:
Preheat your oven to 50–60°C
Prepare your fruit by slicing if necessary (smaller fruit doesn’t need to be sliced)
Carefully place the fruit on a rack or grid inside the oven (make sure they do not touch each other)
Close the oven door, and allow the fruit to dry out for 6–12 hours (length of time depends on how much moisture the fruit contains)
If you are using a baking sheet, you will need to flip the fruit over every 30 minutes or so. If you’re using the rack or a grid, this will not be necessary
Once the fruit is nice and dry, remove it from the oven and leave it out to cool for a minimum of 24 hours
Once fully cooled, pack your fruit up! You can portion it out and pack it into mason jars or airtight containers
Store your dried fruit in a cool, dry place and away from the light. The perfect spot would be a pantry if you have one, or a cupboard away from the oven and other electrics.
Based on nutritional value, some of the healthiest dried fruits include dates, prunes, apricots, and good old raisins. However, in small amounts, all dried fruit is healthy, and will make a fantastic snack if you’re craving something sweet.
Dried cherries and dates have some of the most antioxidants of all dried fruit. Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries are also incredibly high in antioxidants, and make for an antioxidant-rich snack.
Like everything, there are advantages and disadvantages to all snacks, and dried fruit is no exception. Below, we will go through some of the best and worst points about this snack that you should be aware of.
Where to start? It’s no secret that dried fruit can be delicious, especially if you love fruit. There are all kinds of options to choose from, and you can enjoy them as-is or within recipes.
As expected, dried fruit is full of natural sugars that your body needs to thrive. This can be a good and a bad thing, but it doesn’t mean that this snack can’t be enjoyed in moderation.
Some dried fruit, such as dates, are rich in antioxidants and fibre, and can help to reduce oxidative damage within our bodies. On top of that, they have a low glycaemic index, so you shouldn’t experience spikes in blood sugar after enjoying them – making them a fantastic snack.
We mentioned before that dried fruit is packed full of not only nutrients, but also sugar. While natural sugar (in controlled amounts) is good for you, it’s easy to go overboard with dried fruit. Why? Because they are small, delicious packages that you can’t get enough of.
This means that it’s easy to have too much sugar in your diet when you frequently opt for dried fruit as a snack.
Not only that, but one of the subclasses of dried fruit is candied fruit. Now, we have a great selection of candied fruit here, but it’s crucial to enjoy these healthy snacks in moderation, since too much added sugar is detrimental to your body.
There are lots of dried fruit superfood options if you’re looking for them. Some popular superfoods that come in the form of dried fruit include cranberries and blueberries – two very popular options that you can pick up at most health stores.
However, even if they aren’t superfoods, there are so many healthy dried fruit options that you should explore, such as prunes. Dates are also considered a superfood thanks to all their potential health benefits, so if you’ve never tried one, now is the time!
We mentioned earlier that dried fruit has its own pros and cons to consider, and one of the major cons was all the sugar that they contain. Because of this, if you enjoy dried fruits, you need to make sure that you don’t go overboard with them.
You should only aim to eat small amounts of dried fruit on a given day – unless you’re doing a lot of exercise or there is another reason to do otherwise. For most people, a handful or so is more than enough to reap all the benefits of dried fruit.
Is dried fruit good for you? The answer is a resounding yes. However, you need to remember that too much of anything can be bad for you, and you should always follow guidelines when it comes to dietary requirements.
While we offer a wide array of delicious and healthy snacks, it’s crucial for you to know what you’re getting into when buying from us. Yes, dried fruit can be delicious and nutritious, but enjoy them in moderation.
Hopefully this article has been helpful, and you now know the answer to ‘is dried fruit good for you’. There is a lot to consider, and every person’s need will be different. On the whole, dried fruit is a fantastic source of antioxidants, calories, and natural sugar, but eat too much, and the positive effects can be replaced by the negative.
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