Dried fruits have been around for a long time. Drying fruit means removing its water content, so it starts to shrink. The remaining fruit becomes energy-dense too. Although the process removes water, the nutrients remain the same. Therefore, it’s ideal for you to consider eating fried fruits.
The nutrients you get from fresh fruit are the same as what dried fruit can offer. The difference is that dried fruits last longer. You don’t have to finish eating them immediately. Here are a few things you need to know about dried fruits.
Health Benefits of Dried Fruits
Dried fruits can help lower blood pressure and popular for decreasing inflammation. Sweet dried fruits are an excellent source of calcium, potassium, and iron.
If you’re trying to lose weight, dried fruits are good for you. Eating them will make you feel full and help curb your appetite. Some dried fruits, like prunes, are natural laxatives. They aid in your bowel movements.
Related: How to Select Fresh and Ripe Fruit – Part 1
Control How Much You Eat
Fruits contain fructose, a type of sugar. Eating a lot could lead to high sugar content in your body. It’s a risk for people with diabetes and heart disease. Therefore, it’s important to control how much you eat. Since dried fruits are sweet and have a fantastic taste, you might subconsciously eat a lot. Determine how much you’re going to eat based on the sugar content.
Avoid eating dried fruits coated with sugar. They’re terrible for your health. Given that dried fruits are already sweet adding more white sugar is unnecessary. Candied fruits could lead to obesity and high blood pressure. Other additives to improve the flavor are also terrible for your health. You should also avoid dried fruits with coloring to enhance the appearance. They contain no nutrients, and might even affect the quality of the dried fruits. Stick to dried fruits that didn’t undergo any other process apart from the removal of water.
Are Dried Fruits Better than Fresh Fruits?
Fresh fruits contain tons of vitamins and nutrients that are good for your body. The difference with dried fruits is that they lack moisture. It means that dried fruits are even better with concentrated fiber and antioxidants. However, if the dried fruits contain more sugar, it would be terrible for you. Avoid dried fruits containing sulphite too. They may cause headaches and diarrhea. Check the label to find out if your dried fruits contain added sugar or sulphites.
Related: How to Select Fresh and Ripe Fruit – Part 2
The Right Way to Eat Dried Fruits
When you eat dried fruits, you also have to drink more water. It helps avoid constipation since it adds moisture to what you eat. You can also repack the dried fruits so you won’t feel tempted to finish the entire bag. You will only eat what’s in the smaller container and save the rest for another time. You may also pair dried fruits with other proteins such as Greek yogurt. It’s a healthy partner. However, when pairing dried fruits with other sweets, you run the risk of having excess calories and sugar.
Are Dried Fruits Effective for Weight Loss?
Eating dried fruits isn’t necessarily going to help you with your weight loss goals. The good thing, though, is that you might forget eating unhealthy desserts since you already met your cravings for something sweet. Eliminating unhealthy desserts from your diet will help you achieve your goals faster.
Best Choices of Dried Fruits
Among the best options for dried fruits are prunes, apricots, dates, and raisins. They contain a lot of nutrients and help in flushing toxins out of your body. Dates, for instance, are perfect in boosting your stamina. They’re a superfood that can also improve your resistance against pathogens. Dried apricots contain calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Snacking on them will help curb your hunger. You will feel satisfied even with a small serving.
How to Store Dried Fruits
Storing dried fruits is easy. You only need an airtight container to ensure that they remain fresh. You should also keep them at room temperature so they will be edible for months. Your cupboard is a perfect storage area. If you don’t intend to eat the dried fruits soon, you can store them your fridge using a tightly sealed plastic bag.
Recipe with Dried Fruits
If you wish to be creative with dried fruits, you can try the radicchio and raisin salad. The combination of sweet, spicy, and bitter flavors makes this recipe worth trying.
You just need a purple radicchio, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, golden raisins, and Belgian endive. For the dressing, you need walnut oil, salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Peel off the leaves from the radicchio and tear them into large pieces. In a small pan, warm the vinegar until it simmers. Add the raisins and keep the heat low for five minutes. Let it cool before removing the raisins. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a large bowl. Add all the dry ingredients together and place the dressing before serving. You can also top it with spicy seedlings and nuts.
Final Thoughts
If you want to eat dried fruits, you should look for reliable brands. Make sure that the company that made the dried fruit is reputable and follows strict food safety procedures. Otherwise, you run the risk of parasite infections.
It helps to have a stock of dried fruits in your fridge so that each time you crave for a sweet treat, you won’t feel tempted to have unhealthy options. You can also purchase different types of dried fruits so there’s variety. You may also consider buying wholesale dried fruits if you want to reduce the cost.
