Nutritionists notebook: dried fruit
Veronika Powell MSc, Viva!Health
By Veronika Powell MSc, Viva! Health.
Many of us see dried fruit as a yummy snack and a cooking ingredient, but others avoid it at all costs. So how come people’s experiences are so divided?
To state the obvious, dried fruit has essentially had most of its water content removed through drying, which ensures it lasts much longer than fresh fruit. This has been a common method of food preservation for millennia.
NUTRITIOUS SNACKS
Dried fruit contains most of the nutrients found in fresh fruit, except for lower amounts of some of the more volatile vitamins – such as vitamin C. Dried fruit is also a good source of fibre, positive carbohydrates, antioxidants and phytochemicals, which help us stay healthy. As far as minerals are concerned, dried fruit tends to be a good source of potassium and copper, and some particular varieties are good sources of iron, too – apricots, raisins, pears and figs come under this bracket; while figs and apricots can help top up your calcium intake.