Fresh Or Dried Fruits?
Fresh fruits come packaged as nature intended and therefore they contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, fibre, phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Fruits also contain a lot of water.
An apple, for example, is approximately 85% water, while grapefruits, water melons and strawberries contain over 90% water.
This water content can not only contribute to your daily fluid requirement but it also adds volume to the fruit which makes you feel satisfied and full - a real plus point for anyone looking to control their weight.
Production of dried fruits
As the name suggests, dried fruits have most of their water content removed. This, in effect, concentrates the remaining nutrients into a smaller volume, which is why dried fruits are often richer in fibre, iron and other key vitamins and minerals.
However, this also means dried fruits will also be richer in calories and sugar.
This is partly due to the concentrated nature of dried fruits but also because some dried fruits have sugar added during the drying process.
This reduction in overall volume plus the increase in calories and sugar content means that, if you are watching your weight, you will need to keep an eye on the quantity of dried fruits you consume.
The drying process varies from fruit to fruit, but several dried fruits are also treated with sulphur dioxide as it helps to preserve colour and flavor. Sulphur dioxide can cause skin rashes, stomach upsets and asthma attacks.
Sulfur dioxide also eliminates the Vitamin B1 or thiamine content of the fruit. Fruits that are dried without the use of sulfur dioxide are often less appealing to look at, as they tend to be more discoloured.
For example, apricots dried without the use of sulphur dioxide tend to be brown and far less appetizing to look at than those treated with sulfur dioxide which are likely to retain more of their original orange colour and shape. If in doubt, select organic dried fruits wherever possible because they will not have sulfur dioxide added.
The drying process can also deplete other valuable water soluble nutrients such as vitamin C and other B vitamins. However, eaten in smaller quantities to avoid excess calorie and sugar consumption, dried fruits still make an excellent alternative to most other snacks.
Dried vs. fresh fruit
So, as long as you don’t over do it, most dried fruits are a healthy, convenient and nutritious snack.
However, fresh fruits are likely to be richer in immune boosting vitamin C and if weight loss is your goal, their high water content will help with hunger control, helping you to feel fuller for longer.
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RSS Trackback URL 20. February 2012 (14:27)Filed under: Nutrition by Nessie