Will eating dried fruits make you fat?

Many people like to eat dried fruits, such as dried apples, raisins, and dried kiwis, etc., but will eating dried fruits make you fat? There is a misunderstanding that dried fruits are more beneficial for weight loss because they contain less water and sugar. In fact, this is not true. Dried fruits are processed. Although they originally do not have high calories, their calories increase nearly tenfold after being dried, so the more you eat them, the fatter you get. In particular, some dried vegetables are made by frying and have a higher fat content.

If you eat a lot of dried fruits, it will cause obesity

Whether it is the fragrant and crispy mixed dried fruits and vegetables, or various dried blueberries, dried cherry tomatoes, dried kiwis, etc., many people think that eating more is good for health. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Mixed dried fruits and vegetables are actually low-temperature fried products. Fruits and vegetables originally have a fat content of less than 1%, but after being fried and dehydrated, the fat content can be as high as 10% or even more than 15%. Many so-called "dried fruits" are actually products made from fruits with oil and sugar, and the sugar content is much higher. Although they do have certain health values, the health effects are somewhat compromised due to the large amount of sugar added, so they need to be consumed in limited amounts.

It is very easy to find out whether sugar or oil is added to dried fruits and vegetables. Just look at the ingredient list on the product packaging.

Nutritional value of dried fruit

1. You can eat all the fiber in the peel

During the drying process of fruits, a large amount of vitamin C is lost. However, don't think that the loss of vitamin C means that dried fruits are worthless and only contain carbohydrates. Many of the benefits of fruit are still retained in dried fruits, and there are some advantages that people often overlook.

You can eat all the fiber in the peel. When eating fruit, people often spit out the skin or peel it, otherwise they find it difficult to swallow. In fact, the peel is the part of the fruit with the highest dietary fiber content. After drying, the dietary fiber is completely unaffected and preserved. Because raisins can only be eaten with the skin, no fiber is wasted.

2Suitable for people with indigestion and fear of cold

There is no risk of proteases and unpolymerized tannins harming the digestive tract. Fresh fruits often contain more active proteases and tannins. Don’t think that enzymes only have good effects. Tannins have strong antioxidant effects. For people with indigestion, they can also severely damage the gastrointestinal mucosa.

Traditional health care often advises people with indigestion not to eat fruits on an empty stomach, in fact, to a large extent, it is because they are afraid of them. Once it becomes a dried fruit, the protease is inactivated, the tannins are polymerized, and the irritation to the digestive tract is greatly reduced. For the elderly who suffer from indigestion and fear of cold, dried fruits can serve as a supplementary source of fruit nutrition. Otherwise, because you are afraid of the cold, you have to put the oranges on the heater or heat the grapes in warm water before eating them, which is really troublesome.

3. The mineral content is higher than that of fresh fruits

All the mineral components are retained and concentrated. Although vitamin C will be lost, minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and iron will not be lost. Instead, they are concentrated due to the loss of water, and their content is higher than that of fresh fruits. Therefore, various dried fruits are good sources of potassium. Raisins are rich in potassium and iron, which are beyond the reach of white sugar or even brown sugar.

4. Particularly rich in antioxidants

Retains most of the antioxidant ingredients. Red, blue, purple and black fruits are particularly rich in anthocyanin antioxidants, which are concentrated after drying. Especially for those dried red grapes and black currants with thicker peels and darker colors, the health benefits are better if you eat them with the skin.

5Easy to carry and store

Easy to carry and store, it is a great snack. Although the sugar content of dried fruits is similar to the starch content of rice and they are high in calories, they can be made into small bags and you can eat only a small handful or a small bag at a time. This makes it easier to control the quantity and avoid the problem of eating too much like fresh fruits, which you can't stop eating and worry about going bad if you can't finish them.

6. Can be matched with various foods

Dried fruits can replace white sugar to sweeten many foods, and can also be added to various foods to enhance the deliciousness. For example, adding some raisins, dates, longans, etc. when cooking porridge, rice, or making soy milk will make the taste light, sweet and delicious. For breakfast, forget about the combination of bread, jam and butter, and just grab some raisins and walnuts with whole wheat steamed buns. It will definitely give you a delicious surprise. The most important thing is that using dried fruit instead of artificially added sugar has much higher nutritional value.