Dried fruits are high in minerals, some vitamins and dietary fiber. Because they are dehydrated, they are less voluminous than whole fruits, concentrated in sugar and richer in calories. Dried fruits, even without added sugars, are not considered a low-calorie food, but you can minimize the calories.
Criteria for Low-Calorie Dried Fruits
According to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) nutrition content claim definitions, a low-calorie food should offer 40 calories or less per serving. There are many varieties of fresh fruit that fit that criteria, but not dried fruits. Dried fruits that offer 180 calories or less per serving can be considered low in calories. Serving sizes vary. As far as nutrition goes, according to the American College of Nutrition, the phenol antioxidant content of fruits that are dried, as well as vitamins C and E, are diminished significantly, but dried fruits retain all of their fiber and iron content.
Servings
Dried fruits count towards MyPyramid recommendations for fruit. MyPyramid recommends consuming approximately 1 1/2 cups (or the equivalent) of fruits daily. Because dried fruits are calorie-rich, it is essential to control your portion sizes. They are not meant to be eaten with abandon in unlimited quantities. One serving of dried fruits is approximately 1/4 cup, as opposed to one whole piece of raw fruit, or about 1 cup raw (sliced or chopped).
Avoid High-Calorie Traps
To avoid excess calories, choose plain dried fruits. Avoid candied, sugar coated and sweetened dried fruits. Some tropical dried fruits, such as mango and pineapple, are high in calories as well as coated in sugar. Avoid dried fruits that are listed as chips, such as banana and apple chips, as these might have been or processed in oil. There is a large difference in calorie content among dried fruits.
Lowest-Calorie Dried Fruits
Plain dried fruits can be a healthy snack. The lowest-calorie dried fruit is apple (not apple chips), sulfured, uncooked. A 1/2-cup serving provides about 105 calories. They are high in fiber, offering nearly 4g per 1/2 cup. Dried Japanese persimmons are also fairly low in calories, with about 90 calories per fruit (roughly 34g) and 5g of fiber. Though dried cranberries are sprayed with a sugar solution before drying, it does not add too much to the calorie content. Just over a 1/4-cup of dried cranberries has 90 calories.
Vitamins and Minerals
A 1/2-cup serving of either dried apricot halves or peaches, without sugar, offer approximately 170 calories. Both fruits are rich vitamin A and potassium. Dried figs offer slightly fewer calories, about 180 for a 1/2-cup serving. Figs are particularly nutritious, providing over 5g of dietary fiber, and are rich in magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Nearly all other dried fruits have more than 200 calories for a 1/2-cup serving.
References
- "Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals, 6th Ed;" Karen Drummond and Lisa Brefere; 2007
- National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
- NutritionData
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