Is fresh or dried fruit better for your health?

Most when comparing fresh to dried fruit will wonder if they both offer the same health benefits. Then with all the buzz around freeze dried fruit, you might be asking yourself - is freeze-dried fruit healthy? We will answer all these question and more in this article.

 

What is dried fruit?

Dried fruit is exactly what it sounds like. When you dry out all the water content from fruit you end up with dried fruit. It is not uncommon to find mangos, pineapples, apricots, and cranberries in their dried form. In fact some people prefer the convenience that comes with eating dried fruit.

 The great news is dried fruit might be smaller in size yet contains all the nutrients. On top of that dried fruit can be stored for longer because it doesn’t contain any moisture. Not to mention storing dried fruit is a great space saver as the fruit shrinks after you dry them.

The convenience of dried fruit makes them a perfect alternative to regular sugary snacks such as candies. You can eat bite sized pieces of dried fruit whenever you feel hungry because they are as easy to consume as an unhealthy snack.

 

Is fresh or dried fruit healthier?

People are more aware than ever about the importance of eating a healthy diet. So when someone puts dried and fresh fruits side by side they often wonder which is the healthier alternative.

 In reality both fresh and dried fruit are a great source of nutrients.

Some research states that there is little to no difference among the cardio health indicators of individuals who ate fresh and dried fruit. So we know fruit of all kinds if great for heart health, but what else is it good for?

 As per research dried fruit also contain antioxidants and since dried fruit doesn’t contain water the concentration of nutrients especially antioxidants is higher in dried fruit compared to fresh fruits.

 So if you were worried that dried fruit may lose antioxidants during the drying process then rest assured that you can still get antioxidants by eating a dried fruit.

You can also easily eat larger quantities of dried fruit and get a higher concentration of antioxidants, while in comparison it is difficult to eat more than a few fresh fruits at a time.

 With that being said it is important to control the portions of dried fruit that you eat per day because it is easy to get carried away

Luckily there are ways to use dried fruit as a healthy snack. As long as you are not eating dried fruit in large quantities they are as healthy as eating fresh fruit.

 

Health benefits of some of our favorite dried fruits

Now that you know that dried fruit is just as good as fresh fruit here’s some health benefits and some ways to use dried fruit as a healthy snack:

 

Dried mango: Research states that dried mangos are a great source of nutrients and antioxidants. Some health benefits that you can expect from eating dried mangos include:

 

1. Healthier skin due to high antioxidant content of dried mangos.
2. Help with digestion thanks to the high fiber content.
3. Presence of iron in dried fruit makes them a great way for relieving anemia and boosting blood circulation.

 

Dried pineapple: Dried pineapple is rich in calcium, potassium, manganese and fiber. In addition it also contains  vitamins and all of these nutrients combined offer the following health benefits:

 

1. Helps improve bone density due to high manganese content.
2. High antioxidant content helps fight symptoms of aging.
3. Helps lose weight due to high fiber content which makes you feel full for longer.

Dried Apricot: Dried Apricot contains the highest amount of vitamin A of all dried fruit. Apart from vitamin A this dry fruit contains a high concentration of nutrients as well. As a result this dried fruit offers the following health benefits:

 

1. High concentration of vitamin A in dried apricot makes it a great food for fighting age related vision disorders.
2. Helps fight skin damage and effects of aging.
3. Dried apricots contain potassium which means they can lower blood pressure.

 

Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries are offer a ton of health benefits including:

1. Reducing the risk of urinary tract infection.
2. Improving gut health.
3. Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and improves weight loss.

 

So there you have it dried fruits are not just a great source of antioxidants but they also offer loads of other health benefits as well. By eating dried fruit in moderation, you can expect improvements in your overall health.

 

Visit Gram Sustainable today at 350 Brunswick St, Fitzroy in Melbourne to stock up on your favourite dried fruits. We have all the dried fruit you need to pack healthy school snacks, in store now.