The drying out of fruit can be accomplished either naturally or by use of a food dehydrator. Drying fruit improves its shelf life and makes it possible to have fruit when fresh fruit is unavailable. Dried fruit also contains a similar nutritional content to fresh fruit, with the possible exception of fiber. A potential negative of using dried fruit in place of fresh fruit may be that it contains more calories and sugar.
Nutritional Benefits
Dried fruit is very similar in nutritional content to fresh fruit in that it contains vitamins and minerals which are essential to our diets. Dried fruit can be rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6 and pantothenic acid and also minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper and manganese. The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" recommends that people increase fruit and vegetable intakes in their diets. The food guide pyramid recommends including 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit daily for most healthy adults.
Calories and Sugar
There are two main reasons that dried fruit usually has a higher sugar content than its fresh fruit counterpart. Sometimes sugar is added to dried fruit to make it taste less tart. Also, the dehydration process of dried fruit removes water, which makes for a more concentrated serving. One example would be to compare fresh grapes to raisins. One cup of grapes has roughly 60 calories as opposed to one cup of dried grapes or raisins which contains approximately 400 calories. One half cup of dried fruit is equal to one cup of fresh fruit, so portion control is encouraged to avoid consuming excessive calories.
allergies
Some commercially prepared dried fruits are preserved with sulfur dioxide or sulfites which can trigger asthma in some individuals. This added ingredient is used to protect the color and taste of the dried fruit. Organic dried fruit is manufactured without added sulfer dioxide. Also, some dried fruit may be treated with a solution rich in vitamin C, such as water with lemon juice, prior to the dehydration. Check the label of the fruit before you eat it if allergies are a concern.
Fiber
Dietary Reference Intakes recommends consumption of 25 g of fiber for adult women and 38 g for adult men per day. Increasing the amount of fiber in our diet can help decrease the risk of chronic disease. High-fiber foods include whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Fruits provide only 10% of the fiber in the overall typical American diet. Some people, such as patients with new Ileostomies or colostomies, may have to watch their intake of high-fiber foods due to the risk for complications following surgery. Dried fruits should be avoided during the healing period because of the potential for obstruction. In most cases a regular diet can be resumed within two to six weeks.
Uses for Dried Fruits
If you are struggling to increase fruit content in your diet, consider adding dried fruit to your meal or snack. Dried fruits can be a portable snack or can be added to a variety of foods such as salads, pancake batter, cookies, breads, cereal and trail mix. Some of the most popular dried fruits include raisins, apricots, prunes and dates. There are also a variety of other fruits which can be dried such as apples, bananas cherries, cranberries, figs, kiwi, mangoes, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapples, strawberries and tomatoes. Commercial fruit dehydrators are also available so you can dry your own fruit at home.
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