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Dieting With Dried Fruit

Dried fruit is a food that can be part of a healthy diet designed for weight loss. However, when portions are not controlled, this healthy food can quickly become a source of excess calories preventing weight loss success. The key is to check labels carefully and include only a small portion of dried fruits with snacks or meals. Doing this will allow you to both diet and enjoy eating dried fruit.

  1. Check Ingredients

    • It is important to check the ingredient list of the dried fruit you are purchasing. Many have added sugars that increase the calorie content in dried fruits, and more recently some companies have switched from sugar to high fructose corn syrup because it is less expensive. It is best to limit the consumption of both. Do your best to select dried fruits that state "no sugar added." This will ensure that you are benefiting from the nutritional value of the fruit itself, and empty calories from sugar won't be ruining your diet.

    Control Portions

    • When fruit is dried, the water is removed and this water is what gives the fruit much of its volume. Therefore, for the same amount of calories, when you eat fresh fruit you are getting much more food than when you eat dried fruit. Most dried fruit still contains the nutrients specific to the fresh fruit, but the fact that the fruit is small may encourage you to eat more. As a general rule, a half cup of dried fruit has about the same amount of calories as a cup of fresh fruit. Check the labels to learn what a serving is for the fruit you are eating. Keep in mind the amount of calories you are consuming and pay attention to how that fits into your dieting plan.

    How to Use It

    • The best thing about dried fruits is that they are convenient. There is no peeling or messy juices. In addition, even if they do not have added sugar, the concentrated nature of the fruit makes it a snack that can curb a craving for something sweet. Mix some dried berries with nuts for a snack that is balanced in carbohydrate, protein and fat. Sprinkle dried fruit on top of your salad, or snack on a few pieces of dried pineapple, apples or bananas.

    Make Your Own

    • The healthiest dried fruit you can eat is the variety you make yourself. This process requires the use of a food dehydrator, which can be purchased at most stores that carry small kitchen appliances. With a food dehydrator you can be sure that you make naturally dried fruit with no added sugar. You can dry your own berries, grapes, apples, pears or bananas and store them to snack on when you need something nutritious and convenient. For most dehydrators, you will need to slice the fruit very thin and then dry the fruit at around 135 degrees F for several hours, or for some foods, several days.

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