Is dried fruit good for you?

Question

And does it count as part of your 5 a day?

I want to start eating more healthily so instead of snackking on junk food in the afternoons at work, I've started to eat dried fruit and nuts.

I just wondered whether it is good for you or whether its another one of these so called health foods that are really pumped full of sugar and salt?!

Answer 1

Dried fruit is very good for you, as it is low in fat ( or fat free), high in fiber ( which fills you up, and thus supresses your apetite), full of minerals and vitamins. It releases its energy slowly, which is also good for you.

But drink a lot of water: you tend to eat more fruit when it is dried, and the fiber could cause constipation.

Take fruit that is not sugarred, though.

Answer 2

A definite yes. And no. It contains a ton of natural sugar. Some types of dried fruit--mango, papaya, and cranberries for example--routinely have sugar added. Dried fruit is basically concentrated fruit. Where you might eat one plum you will generally eat 5 prunes.

On the other hand, dried fruit is a concentrated source of the vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals found in fruit and therefore is healthy. It definitely does count as part of your five a day.

The bottom line: if you are a healthy, active person, dried fruit *in moderation* is a good thing. If you're diabetic, sedentary, or obese, you may want to avoid or strictly limit it. When I hiked the Appalachian trail a few years ago, I packed lots of dates and raisins and used them the same way other hikers use candy bars, etc.

Answer 3

Dried fruit is VERY good for you because it's high in fiber. It has no added sugar, but bear in mind that the sugars in the fruit are somewhat "concentrated" during the drying process, so if your serving sizes are equal dried fruit would have more sugar than regular "un-dried" fruit. P.S.: Yes, a serving of dried fruit counts towards your 5 a day, and you should also keep eating nuts -- they're high in monounsaturated fat, which is good for raising your "good" cholesterol and lowering your "bad" cholesterol. Any nuts are good, but almonds are best because of the additional fiber content and nutrients almonds have.

Answer 4

Has too much sugar really.

Dried fruit and nuts is definately a step up from chips, though. So it's not totally a bad idea... it still has the vitamins of fruit and counts, but it also is gunna give you a lot more sugar than fresh fruit.

If you can, go for fresh fruit or even frozen or canned fruit (as long as it's not in heavy syrup).

Answer 5

Are you talking about the packets of dried fruit, such as banana pieces, or about partially dried natural fruit like raisins and prunes?

The former do not count towards your 5 a day, as they are too concentrated and have too much sugar.

Raisins, prunes etc DO count towards your 5 a day. They are still quite high in calories, so cannot be eaten as readily as fresh fruit.

The best is still natural, unprocessed, fresh fruit. And it is just as easy to carry an apple or orange to work as a bag of dried fruit.

Answer 6

Hi i dont know, but i have read somewhere that they are worse for you as they are full of sugar or something. So they say earing fresh fruit is good for you. I think that is does count as your 5 a day but i dont know weather they are as good for you as fresh fruit.

Why not cut up some fruit up and keep it in the fridge at work to keep fresh and then this way its more healthy for you.

Answer 7

Dried fruits are full with sugar and if they are not from Organic source they actually can be dangerouse as they process them with Sulphur! If you like them you can have only from Organic source maximum twice a week...the rest have veggies with hummus or just fruits with raw nuts...by the way the dried fruits does not count as one of the five a day!

Answer 8

It does count as one of your five a day. However, you do need to read the packaging as some dried fruit has added sugar so you obviously don't want to eat too much.

Answer 9

You will have to look at the labels on the packets of dried fruits. For example, banana chips may contain glucose frustose syrup which is basically the same as sugar.

Answer 10

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