Are Dried Fruits as Good as Fresh Fruits?

While few things taste as good as fresh fruit in season, dried fruits are also delicious. The nutritional makeup of fresh and dried fruit is slightly different, with dried fruits containing more calories.

Nutrient Loss

• Fruits contain mostly water. When fruit is dried, all the water is removed, as are some nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, and iron.

Extra Sugar

• Sugar is often added to dried fruits, particularly those that are a little sour to begin with. Extra sugar means extra calories, so sweetened dried fruit should be avoided if you are watching your caloric intake.

Fiber Boost

• If you need to eat more fiber, dried fruits are the way to go. Raisins, which are the dried form of grapes, have about 5 grams of fiber per half cup, while a cup of grapes only has about 1 gram of fiber.

Convenience

• Unlike fresh fruit, dried fruit is available year-round and has a considerably longer shelf life. It is also more portable than fresh fruit. There is no risk of dried fruit bruising when you are on the go.

Less Is More

• Eat smaller portions of dried fruit than you would fresh, since its flavor and calories are concentrated. A cup of dried apricots has over 300 calories, while a cup of fresh apricots has less than 75 calories.