Dried Fruit: healthy or not?

Deciphering whether dried fruits are healthy or not can be a bit of a tricky debate. There are indeed many great qualities found in dried fruit, but there are also some factors to be cognizant of when comparing them to fresh fruit.

Since dried fruit is essentially fresh fruit with all of the water sucked out, the fruit's sugar content becomes concentrated, which is why dried fruit has more sugar than its fresh counterparts. Drying also shrinks the fruit by about 3/4 its original size, making it tempting to eat more of them. It's important to watch your consumption of dried fruit, for the calories and sugar can add up quickly. Take blueberries for example: a cup of fresh blueberries comes in at about 85 calories and 14 grams of sugar, whereas a half cup of dried blueberries has about 270 calories and 25 grams of sugar, according to Anahad O'Connor of The New York Times. Another factor to take into consideration is that the drying process decreases the amounts of heat-sensitive vitamins that are found in fresh fruits, such as vitamin C.

So, what exactly is the appeal then in eating dried fruits? While some vitamins become decreased in the drying process, other nutrients become enhanced, along with their fiber content. Claiborne Ray of The New York Times points out that a cup of fresh apricot halves contains 3.1 grams of fiber and 0.6 milligrams of iron, and a cup of dried apricots contains 6.5 grams of fiber and 2.35 milligrams of iron. Other benefits of dried fruit include a longer shelf-life than fresh fruit, they're a convenient mess-free and portable snack, and they're also a healthy alternative to gummy candy and other sweets for when you're hit with a sugar craving.

When buying dried fruits, be cautious of the varities with added sugars and corn syrup. These additives are especially common in fruits with a tarter flavor, such as cranberries and cherries. You may also want to look for varieties that are free of sulfites, a preservative used to maintain the fruit's color so that they look more attractive. The fact of the matter is dried fruits are not meant to look pretty. Dried fruit will typically be darker in color in its natural state. To avoid these additives, be sure to check out the ingredient list before purchase, and look for labels stating, "no-sulfites."

So, anyone else craving some dried mango right about now?