Dried fruit provides a convenient and healthy alternative to the fresh variety providing filling fiber, powerful antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Some of the healthiest dried fruit--figs, dates, plums and black raspberries--aren't too popular in the fresh produce section of average American grocery stores, but they pack a nutritional punch to pay attention to. Sprinkle dried fruit onto salads, stir into rice dishes or just munch on them as you would a piece of candy.
Fiber
Get a healthy dose of fiber from dried fruit, which provides approximately 10 percent of your daily value of fiber per 1/4 cup serving. Dried apples, raspberries and figs top the charts with between 4 and 5 g of fiber per serving. To make the most of the fiber in dried fruit, drink at least 8 oz. of water per serving as you consume it. During digestion, fiber attracts water to itself to form soft, bulky stools. Without enough water, fiber may have the reverse effect of constipation.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants have been the buzz word for the last decade, but you don't need to reach for a special drink to get them. Dried fruit is chock full of these natural chemicals that scour the body cleaning up oxidative damage caused by diet, lifestyle and environmental factors. Antioxidants offer powerful cancer fighting benefits as well. A study published in the March 2009 issue of the journal of "Cancer Prevention Research" and conducted by researchers from The Ohio State University Department of Internal Medicine found that freeze-dried black raspberries contain powerful chemopreventive agents, such as anthocyanins and ellagitannins. Another study published in the February 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" found that consuming dried figs reduced the inflammatory effects of a high-fructose-corn-syrup beverage. Other antioxidant-rich dried fruits include plums, cranberries, dates, goji berries and blueberries.
Vitamins and Minerals
Dried fruit contains a significant amount of vitamins and minerals. Apricots, prunes, raisins and figs offer some of the greatest benefits. Dried apricots provide a significant amount of beta carotene and potassium and dried figs offer potassium and calcium. However, prunes really steal the show with a host of vitamins and minerals: calcium, iron, Vitamins A and E and trace amounts of zinc and niacin. Overall dried fruits maintain much of the same vitamins and minerals that are found in fresh fruits. The exception to this is Vitamin C, which is found in many fruits but is reduced by 80 percent in the dehydrating process. To counteract this, ascorbic acid is sometimes added to commercially prepared dried fruit.
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