What are the healthiest Dried Fruit You Should Look For?

Less processed dried fruits are healthier than highly processed varieties of fruits. If you filter out those elements, you will be able to purchase the healthiest dried fruits.

Being a natural and healthy snack option, dried fruits have become massively popular. Its popularity has reached its peak in the 21st century. Different types of dried fruits are available in different forms and processing methods. As it is different from fresh fruits, there are notable differences in the nutrition. So, what are the healthiest dried fruit? Basically, dried fruits with low sugar content, low calories, essential oils, high antioxidants, and vitamins are the healthiest option.

What Is Dried Fruit?

As the name suggests, dried fruit is the dry version of fruits. Water content is removed from the fruits through sun drying or other natural process. Sometimes dehydrators are used to remove water content from the fruits. People have been eating dried fruits for around 6000 years. It’s popular for its good taste, health benefits, and longevity.

Almonds, cashews, walnuts, raisins, dates, pistachios, prunes, and figs are some of the most common dried fruits. The popularity of dried fruits has increased massively in the 21st century. Dried fruits are most popular in the Middle East and Europe. United States, Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are the top dry fruit-producing countries.

Top 7 Best Healthiest Dried Fruits

1. Dried Apricots
2. Dried Prunes
3. Dried Figs
4. Dried Dates
5. Dried Cherries
6. Dried Bananas
7. Dried Coconut

1. Dried Apricots

Apricots are highly nutritious fruits with plenty of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Dried Apricots are the healthiest dried fruits available on the market. It's rich in antioxidants. Eating this dry fruit will be good for your immune system. It’s also good for skincare. If you are suffering from oxidative stress, you can consider eating this healthy dried fruit.

2. Dried Prunes

If you are willing to include healthy dried fruits in your diet chart, you should consider adding dried prunes. This dry fruit is good for improving the bone and gastrointestinal system. Another good thing about the dried prunes is they have soluble and insoluble fiber. That’s why it is good for the digestion system. You can eat it regularly to keep your bones healthy.

3. Dried Figs

Dried fig is a popular dry fruit. Whenever you purchase any dried fruit combo, most probably there will be dried figs in that. It’s helpful for the bone and cardiovascular. It provides the body with essential nutrients like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Some essential bioactive compounds with anti-diabetic properties are also available in the dried figs.

4. Dried Dates

If you have ever tried dried fruits, you might have eaten dried dates. Some people misjudge the dates as prunes. Those are totally different fruits. Dried date is a great choice for sweet teeth people. You can make your recipes sweet by adding this dry fruit. It is rich in antioxidant content. It will be a booster for the immune system.

5. Dried Cherries

Dried cherry is a colorful dried fruit that is healthy for its antioxidant content. Like fresh raw cherries, dried cherries also have several essential health benefits. If you are facing a problem with sleeping, you can start eating this fruit to improve your sleep quality. It’s also useful to reduce oxidative stress. You can store it for a long time.

6. Dried Bananas

Most of us are unaware of the excellent health benefits of dried bananas. Some of you may call it banana chips. It’s a good source of protein, potassium, and electrolyte. It also has carbohydrates. Besides, it comes with a lot of fiber and antioxidants. To be more specific, it is good for polyphenols. It’s essential to improve the cell function.

7. Dried Coconut

Coconut is such a fruit that we can eat both as a drink and foot. You can eat its water as a drink. Apart from that, you can eat it as a dried fruit. Like its other form, it’s healthy with a lot of nutrients. You can use it with smoothies and other baked foods. It’s good for bone health, immune support, and antioxidant defense.

What Should You Look For To Buy Dried Fruit?

When you are going to buy dried fruits, you should mainly look for the sugar content and fiber content. You should try to avoid high sugar or high fiber. Then, you have to inspect the sulfur. You should go for the dry fruits processed without using the sulfur. Less processed dried fruits are healthier than highly processed varieties of fruits. If you filter out those elements, you will be able to purchase the healthiest dried fruits.

3 Best Tips for Eating Dried Fruit

To get the maximum benefits, you have to follow some rules for eating dried fruit. For example, you have to consider the time, quantity, chewing, and selecting the right dried fruits. Here are some effective tips for eating dried fruit to get maximum benefits.

1. Eat At the Right Time
   The best times to eat dried fruits are the morning and mid-morning. You should not eat dried fruit at night just before going to sleep. It won’t get enough time to get proper digest.
2. Don’t Exceed The Amount
   If you eat dried fruit in excessive amounts, it will do more damage than good. Eating excessive amounts of dried fruits can cause extra weight gain, blood sugar level problems, and other digestive issues.
3. Choose The Healthy Dried Fruit
   You should avoid dried fruit with high sugar content and calorie content. Also, you should avoid highly processed dried fruits. Otherwise, it would be difficult to digest it. It should have enough vitamins and antioxidants.

Nutritional Health Benefits Of Dried Fruit

• Good Source of Antioxidants
  Most of the dried fruits are rich in Antioxidants such as anthocyanins, catechins, and phenols. Those antioxidants are beneficial for health in many ways. Those are good for the heart, blood circulation, and type 2 diabetes.
• High In Micronutrients
  Dried fruits are enriched with micronutrients. Also, there is natural sweetness in the dried fruits. You can reduce your sugar consumption by eating dry fruits. It will help you keep your diet balanced, natural, and healthy.
• Good for Skin
  Dried fruits are good for the skin for their anti-oxidant properties. Vitamins A and C are available in most of the dry fruits. It will keep your skin healthy and glowing. Also, it’s useful to enhance the skin texture.
• Improve Bone Health
  According to the studies, dried fruits are effective in improving bone health. People with 40+ ages may face bone issues and difficulties with movement. Eating dried fruits will be good for the bone.

Is Dried Fruit Safe For All?

There are some key differences between dried fruits and fresh raw fruits. The main difference is the water content. Dried fruits are comparably low in water content. That’s why calorie content is high in the dried fruit. So, you should keep an eye on the quantity. Particularly, when you are on a diet, you should not eat it in high amounts.

Apart from that, it’s not suitable for the kidney patient. If you are suffering from kidney problems, you should eat fresh fruits and vegetables rather than dried fruits. Besides, people with tooth problems should not eat dried fruits alone. You can eat it along with some other foods. If you experience any allergic issues after eating dried fruits, you should avoid it. Apart from that, the dried fruit is safe for all.

Is There Any Side Effects of Eating Too Much Dry Fruits?

You should not face any side effects of eating too many dry fruits when you maintain the right quantity. But you will experience side effects if you eat too much dry fruits. Also, people with any health issues such as kidney problems or teeth problems may face some side effects after eating too much dry fruits.

According to the recommendation of the US FDA, the ideal amount to eat dry fruits regularly is 40g. If you consume more quantity than 40g, it can cause weight gain. If you are looking to lose your extra body weight, it will prevent you from that. People who are willing to gain weight can eat a bit more than the recommended amount. But still, you should not eat too much dry fruits as it has sugar content and high calories.

The main difference between fresh fruits and dried fruits is the water content. Compared to the fresh fruits, calorie contents are high in the dried fruits. That’s why you should be careful about the quantity. Eating too much dry fruit regularly will cause some side effects. So, you should maintain the quantity.

FAQ

Is it okay to eat dried fruit every day?

A. Yes, it’s absolutely okay to eat dried fruit every day. But you should eat dry fruits in small amounts. You can also add it with other meals but don’t exceed the amount.

How many dried fruits per day?

A. It’s recommended to eat around 40g of dried fruits per day. If you exceed the limit, it can cause extra body weight and other health issues.

What is the King of dry fruits?

A. Almonds are known as the king of dry fruits because of their high nutrition, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Which dry fruit is best?

A. According to the doctors, apricots, walnuts, and pistachios are some of the best dry fruits. Those that are high in antioxidants are vitamins.

Which dry fruits have vitamin E?

A. Almonds (Badam) are the best dry fruits with enough Vitamin E. Also, you can eat dried apricots to get enough vitamin E.