They are sweet but not artificial like candy. They are delicious unlike those sinfully kind of food. They are nutritious and accessible to everyone. We have them around us all the time to satisfy our sweet tooth and provide a boost to the morale. How well do you know about dried fruits? Let's find out.
What are dried fruits?
Take away the water content of fresh fruits and you have got yourself dried fruits. As they get dehydrated, they shrink and get denser which will eventually shed about ¾ of their original weight. What's awesome is that their nutrients does not also 'shrink' so they retain almost the same amount of goodness as fresh fruits. That is why they are sometimes used to replace daily intake of fresh fruits.
Don’t dried fruits contain lots of sugar as they are so sweet?
You will be surprised to know that they contain the same amount sugar as their fresh counterparts, not more. There is no difference and it is common practice for some to replace fresh fruits with dried ones. There are two things to watch out for though.
First, dried fruits do not contain water which makes it easy for us to take in plenty more. Since sugar content is the same, we should not take the same amount as we would with fresh fruit by weight. A simple illustration to remind yourself is that snacking on ¼ cup of raisins is equivalent to taking in 1 cup of fresh grapes. That might be too much for one serving.
Second, we would want to be careful of taking in dried fruits with added sugar. There are certain fruits like cranberries which are naturally sour, so sugar is commonly added to alleviate their taste. But it is a good trade off since cranberries are very high in antioxidants and especially effective in treating Urinary Track Infections (UTI). Added sugar should not stop us from taking the dried fruit as long as we exercise caution and reduce our intake where appropriate.
Why not just take fresh fruits?
By all means, go ahead and enjoy fresh, juicy and delicious fruits whenever you have the chance. It is a healthy pleasure! However, there are circumstances where dried fruits excel.
Having gone through drying, coupled with the intrinsic low pH of fruits and presence of antimicrobial components, dried fruits are very stable food. They can be kept for longer periods and in harsher conditions. If fresh produce is hard to get, dried fruits are an excellent alternative to get all the fiber, vitamins and minerals of fruits.
Furthermore, dried fruits are superbly versatile. They can be eaten as it is, mixed with nuts for a trail mix, stir into your granola bowl, combine with vegetables for a side mix or used in baking. Fresh fruit definitely can’t be used in baking ain it? So store a variety of dried fruits in your kitchen to bring your dish to the next level.
Where can I get dried fruits?
Dried fruits, especially raisins can easily be purchased in major supermarkets and convenience stores. However, please read the ingredient list carefully as most contain added sugar. For a variety of more natural and unprocessed selection, do check out our collection page. We also offer figs, which aren't sold widely but has so many health benefits, like losing weight, lowering cholesterol and preventing heart diseases. Wow!
Dried Fruits Collection
