What’s the Nutritional Value of Dried Fruit?

Of course, plenty of fitness conscious people worries and take notice about the nutritional value of dried fruit as well as they should. You see, by having so many dietary ingredients in lower weight package, you increase the overall calorie count. It’s not that great of a fact if you are intent on losing some weight or stay in shape.

If this is the case, this article will help you understand everything you know about the overall health and nutrient value of dried fruits. Keep reading to find out more.

The basic info about dried fruits

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Regular fresh fruits pack plenty of water, vitamins, and calories that balance out in a delicious and healthy form. Drying is a process in which heat is a medium in use to get rid of water and preserve as many healthy nutrients while shedding unnecessary weight from each fruit. It is beneficial for keeping your healthy snacks lightweight for easier transport and also enable them to stay fresh and edible for longer periods of time.

Fruits are known to ripen and spoil very fast because of the internal processes and water percentage so once you get rid of it; you can preserve both the taste and most of the nutrients for much longer. This loss of weight has its consequences. Heat sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C are destroyed in the process although since there’s lots of it in other types of food, this isn’t that big of a deal.

If you need devices for an efficient, time and cost saving drying process, then you might take a look at food dehydrators. These efficient home appliances take the water out of the equation and leave you with nutrient rich dry foods that are sometimes even tastier than when eaten raw. If you and your family like to enjoy your fruits at all times of the year, then these might be the products that your household needs.

Figs

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Dried figs pack so many useful nutrients in a sweet package that makes them an irresistible snack. Just a 1/2 cup serving of this delicious fruit pack 186 calories, of which 48 grams are carbohydrates, 7.3 grams of fiber and 2.5 grams of plant protein. As for vitamin contents, they contain 1.5 mg of iron, 507 mg of potassium and plenty of calcium.

Glycemic index is 60 which is well beyond the threshold limit, 69 in this case. The sweetness of figs makes them a great and healthy snack that will fill your body with plenty of energy. It’s no wonder that they are such popular food that is good to eat during the whole year.

Raisins

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There isn’t a child that doesn’t love to eat these when their mom makes a cake or cookies and uses them for better taste and texture. This delicious fruit is easy to dehydrate and store which makes it perfect for everyday snacking. Although it looks tiny and unassuming, you could easily make the mistake of thinking that this is a low-calorie food which is just not true.

A single 1/2 cup portion includes 210 calories, 57 grams of carbohydrates, 2.2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. And with 36 mg of calcium and 543 mg of potassium and a glycemic index of up to 66, this is a high energy packing snack indeed. When you need something sweet to eat, raisins are an excellent and very healthy choice.

Prunes

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Another energy packing dried snack chefs around the world use in delicious desserts for its high nutritional value and great texture and taste. Because of its rich fiber content, they are ideal for healthy food digestion and blood sugar regulation. So not only are they tasty – these are very useful for losing excess body weight too.

You can expect to ingest around 200 calories, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 6.2 grams of fibers and 2 grams of protein in every 1/2 cup serving. Vitamin wise there is calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamin A found in dried prunes. And with a low glycemic index of 29, you can eat plenty of these before needing to stop which makes them perfect for every day consuming.

Apricots

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No dried fruits list can be considered complete without the inclusion of apricots. To many, this is their favorite dried fruit because of its delicious taste and rich texture combination. When you want to treat yourself with delicious foods, this is the way to satisfy and heighten your pleasure.

Mere 1/2 cup servings of this dry fruit include 165 calories, 2 grams of protein, 50 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of fiber on average. There is 35 mg of calcium, 2 mg of iron, 750 mg of potassium and a significant amount of vitamin A. The low glycemic index of just 30 means that you can eat plenty of these sweet treats before stopping yourself.

Conclusion

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Numerous scientific studies show the benefits and advantages of including dried fruits in your diet, so if you haven’t done so already, perhaps now is the time to make this beneficial change. Not only will you improve your health condition – you will feel better and have more energy during the day.

Considering the benefits of the useful nutritional value of dried fruit, we feel that it should be a substitute for unhealthy salt ridden snacks and artificial sugar filled treats. They’re tasty, easy to store and available for eating during the whole year which makes them one of the best foods that you can treat yourself with every day.