Raisins are just the tip of the dried produce iceberg. Dried apricots, apples, papaya and mango can be found on the shelves of most natural food stores. Sun-dried tomatoes and instant potatoes are found in most supermarkets, while other dried vegetables are available from backpacking supply stores, or you can create your own with a home dehydrator. The nutritional value of dried fruits and vegetables is only slightly less than that of their fresh counterparts.
Size
Dried fruits and vegetables are lightweight and small in size compared to their fresh counterparts. This makes them easy to carry for backpacking, camping or simply on the go. Lugging about tomatoes is difficult, but carrying a bag of crisp dehydrated tomatoes or chewy sun-dried tomatoes provides all the lycopene, vitamins and fiber of the fresh vegetables without the weight, bulk, or risk of squashing them and creating a mess.
Considerations
Drying fruits and vegetables can result in a loss of some nutritional content. Vitamin C is destroyed in the drying process, according to the Colorado State University Extension, and thiamin, riboflavin and niacin may be diminished during the blanching which is necessary to kill off bacteria before drying. Store dried fruits and vegetables in a dark, cool location to maximize nutrient retention, the Colorado Extension advises.
History
Drying fruits and vegetables is the world's oldest method of preserving food for use when it is out of season, reports James Ehlers at FoodReference.com. Europeans dried apples, meat, currants and grapes, while Native Americans dried pumpkin, potatoes and corn, and created pemmican, the original fruit-chew snack, by pounding together animal fat and dried berries. Without dried fruit and vegetables, northern settlers in winter or sailors on long trips would suffer malnutrition.
Warning
Dried fruit is a healthier snack than chips and candy devoid of nutrients, but be warned that dried fruit is also sugar- and calorie-dense. The Utah State University Health Services specifically recommends dried fruit as part of a high-calorie diet due to its caloric concentration. When fruit or vegetables are dried, the caloric content remains the same for each piece, since all that is removed is calorie-neutral water. However, the volume of each piece is so reduced that it is easy to over eat. Also exercise caution if you are allergic to the additive sulfur dioxide, advises the Baylor College Dining Services Produce Newsletter. Many dried fruits and vegetables are treated with this chemical as an anti-darkening agent.
Benefits
Dried fruit and vegetables maintains their fiber and antioxidant components, which then become concentrated in the dried product, turning them into nutritional powerhouses. Dried blueberries, for example, have four times the antioxidants in the same volume as fresh blueberries, advises the Columbia University Health Services. Iron, potassium and selenium are also all retained by dried produce, all of which are critical nutrients for a healthy circulatory system and muscles.
References
- Columbia University Health Services: Nutrition of dried fruit vs. fresh fruit
- Utah State University Health Care: High Calorie, High Protein Diet for Cystic Fibrosis
- Colorado State University Extension: Drying Vegetables
- FoodReference.com: Dried Fruit
- Baylor College Dining Services: Produce Newsletter
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