Dried Fruit: Health Food or Sugary Treat?

Dried fruit is still fruit. The main difference is that there is a very low moisture content resulting in a fruit with a longer shelf life.

Since this fruit is now shrunken to at least half the size, this makes dried fruit a more nutrient dense and higher calorie food.

Does this also mean there will be more antioxidants per serving? Is dried fruit worth eating even though it contains high amounts of sugar?

There are over 300 calories and about 65 grams of sugar in one cup of dried fruit while your average fresh fruit contains about 60 to 80 calories and about 15 grams of sugar. Dried fruit contains similar amounts of vitamin A and C, but other vitamins such as thiamine are lost when the sulfur dioxide (a preservative) is added.Dried fruit has a higher fiber content than most fresh fruits, and most are a good source of B vitamins, rich in potassium, copper, iron, and manganese. Dried fruit has similar antioxidant levels to some fresh fruits. Prunes (dried plums) have the highest antioxidant levels which are about equivalent to fresh berries. A few prunes per day will keep the doctor away! Fresh blueberries, however, still reign supreme with the highest levels.

If your goal is weight loss, I would recommend limiting your intake of dried fruit. A good serving size is about 2 tablespoons. Be careful not to just snack on dried fruit because that is when it can quickly deliver the calories. Try to only use dried fruit as a topping to your food. I like to add a sprinkle to oatmeal, Greek yogurt, or on top of a salad. Or, I like to think of it as an alternative to gummy bears!

Since dried fruit contains higher levels of vitamins and minerals, it can be a great way to get a lot of your nutrition in a few small bites. Just remember that it is not quite as filling as fresh fruits and does have a much higher calorie count. But, for some with specific diet needs, dried fruit is a great choice. If possible, look for dried fruit that doesn't have extra sugar added and that's preservative free.

Do you eat dried fruit? If so, do you add it to other foods or eat it as a snack by itself?

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Fresh Fig Nutrition: Rediscovering Fruit

I spotted some gorgeous looking figs at the store the other day and became intrigued with this gem of a fruit.

The fig crop is never very large each year so it makes the fig more of a unique and rare fruit in some regions of the world. For most areas, the fig is in season during late summer to early fall.

And, I have found out that figs can even be grown in my own backyard here in the hot weather of Georgia, U.S.

If you are lucky enough to find figs at your local market in the warm weather months, you want to select figs that feel ripe and tender, but no overly ripe. Figs are picked when they are ripe as they do not ripen much after picking. They need to be eaten within a few days of purchasing or they will quickly go bad. It is much more common to find dried figs because the fresh varieties are extremely perishable. A good way to use figs that are slightly overripe is to make a fig jam, poach them, or cook them in a mixed dish. To eat a fresh fig, simply wash, and slice. Figs pair well with cheeses, on salads, or topped with nuts. Store any uneaten figs in the refrigerator, covered, until you eat them. Figs are a good source of potassium and manganese, and an excellent source of fiber. That extra fiber can help with weight loss as well! Surprisingly, figs contain calcium and enough to be considered one of the highest plant sources of calcium. Figs are high in antioxidants, but have a laxative effect so don't go too crazy.

100 grams of fresh figs would contain:

74 Calories.3g of fat1mg of sodium17mg of magnesium232mg of potassium19.2g of carbs15.9g of sugar3.3g of fiber.75g of protein142 IU vitamin A2mg vitamin C35mg Calcium.37mg ironWhen I was a kid, all I knew about figs was that they become Fig Newton cookies! I was so surprised to find out what a fresh fig tasted and looked like. They are chewy on the outside and more soft, sweet, and crunchy (because of all the seeds) on the inside.

Are there any fruits that you have rediscovered as an adult?

Source: California Fresh Figs

View the original article here

Fresh Fig Nutrition: Rediscovering Fruit

I spotted some gorgeous looking figs at the store the other day and became intrigued with this gem of a fruit.

The fig crop is never very large each year so it makes the fig more of a unique and rare fruit in some regions of the world. For most areas, the fig is in season during late summer to early fall.

And, I have found out that figs can even be grown in my own backyard here in the hot weather of Georgia, U.S.

If you are lucky enough to find figs at your local market in the warm weather months, you want to select figs that feel ripe and tender, but no overly ripe. Figs are picked when they are ripe as they do not ripen much after picking. They need to be eaten within a few days of purchasing or they will quickly go bad. It is much more common to find dried figs because the fresh varieties are extremely perishable. A good way to use figs that are slightly overripe is to make a fig jam, poach them, or cook them in a mixed dish. To eat a fresh fig, simply wash, and slice. Figs pair well with cheeses, on salads, or topped with nuts. Store any uneaten figs in the refrigerator, covered, until you eat them. Figs are a good source of potassium and manganese, and an excellent source of fiber. That extra fiber can help with weight loss as well! Surprisingly, figs contain calcium and enough to be considered one of the highest plant sources of calcium. Figs are high in antioxidants, but have a laxative effect so don't go too crazy.

100 grams of fresh figs would contain:

74 Calories.3g of fat1mg of sodium17mg of magnesium232mg of potassium19.2g of carbs15.9g of sugar3.3g of fiber.75g of protein142 IU vitamin A2mg vitamin C35mg Calcium.37mg ironWhen I was a kid, all I knew about figs was that they become Fig Newton cookies! I was so surprised to find out what a fresh fig tasted and looked like. They are chewy on the outside and more soft, sweet, and crunchy (because of all the seeds) on the inside.

Are there any fruits that you have rediscovered as an adult?

Source: California Fresh Figs

View the original article here