Dried Fruit & Diet

Dried fruits are sweet enough to taste indulgent yet nutritive enough to constitute a welcome addition to a healthy diet plan. Dried fruits have a rich history of incorporation in diets dating back to ancient Egypt and the Middle East nearly 4,000 years ago. The wide range of dried fruits from pantry staples like raisins to more exotic treats like dried papayas provides tastes for most palates.

History

Though the earliest recorded incidences of cultivation and incorporation of dried fruits in diets is from Mesopotamia around 1700 B.C., food historians like James Trager suspect that dried fruits played a role in diets long before recorded history. Some of the earliest dried fruits include raisins, dates and figs. Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations used sun drying as the preferred method for removing the moisture from fruit to create the sweet dried treats. Ancient Asian cultures were known for the drying of larger fruits like plums; when Asia began their trade economy with parts of Europe, the dried fruits were treated as valuable currency.

Features

Dried fruits are dehydrated versions of whole fruits. Fruits are dried through either natural methods like sun drying or through mechanical dehydration, which speeds up the process of removing the water from the fruits. Common dried fruits include raisins, plums, apples, apricots and pears, though pineapples, mangoes and papayas are also available in dried versions. Dried fruits tend to be sweeter and chewier than their whole fruit versions. Some manufacturers of dried fruit add additional sugar to further sweeten the fruits.

Nutrition

Dried fruits remain a suitable source of immune-supporting antioxidants much like whole fruits. Whether fruits are dried naturally or mechanically, drying processes do alter the nutrient content of the fruit due to the removal of water and nutrients within the water. Heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C are significantly diminished or entirely removed during the high-heat drying processes used in commercial fruit drying, though some at-home methods that do not use heat do not result in the same sizable nutrient loss. A typically serving of whole fruit is the equivalent of 1 cup, while a serving of dried fruit varies from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.

Benefits

Despite the loss of some nutrients, dried fruits remain a nutrient-dense snack with concentrated levels of calories, vitamins, minerals and sugars. The nutrient-density of dried fruits make them a preferred snack for athletes or outdoors enthusiasts who require quick boosts in energy during endurance activities. Because dried fruits offer a high degree of sweetness, dieters may replace other snacks with refined sugars with dried fruit as a method of increasing nutrient intake and supporting weight loss. A typical 1/2-cup serving of dried fruit constitutes a serving of whole fruit according to dietary guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture (See Resources). Due to their low to moderate glycemic index, dried fruits are a sweet and healthful snack for individuals with diabetes. Specific research has also demonstrated that dried fruit may positively impact bone health, according to a 2002 study published by the "Journal of Women's Health and Gender Based Medicine."

Considerations

Dried fruits are concentrated versions of whole fruits; they are both calorie- and sugar-dense snacks. Consume dried fruit in small portions that total less than 1/2 cup to avoid consumption of excess calories and sugar. Read the nutritional labels and ingredient information carefully on all the dried fruits you purchase; some manufacturers add additional refined sugars as coatings or to increase the sweetness of dried fruit. Additional sugars increase the caloric content of dried fruits without providing the additional nutrients in whole fruits that may otherwise combat the added calories.