Understanding Dried Fruit: Nutrition and Serving Sizes

Can knowing the serving size help lower sugar and calories for individuals who enjoy eating dried fruits?

Dried Fruits

Dried fruits, like cranberries, dates, raisins, and prunes, are great because they last a long time and are healthy sources of fiber, minerals, and vitamins. However, dried fruits contain more sugar and calories per serving because they lose volume when dehydrated, allowing more to be consumed. This is why the serving size matters to ensure one does not overeat.

Serving Size

Fruits are dried in dehydrators or left in the sun to dehydrate naturally. They are ready once most of the water has disappeared. The loss of water decreases their physical size, which allows individuals to eat more, increasing sugar and calorie intake. For example, around 30 grapes fit in a single measuring cup, but 250 raisins can fill one cup once dehydrated. Nutritional information for fresh and dried fruit.

• One cup of grapes has around 15 grams of sugar. (FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2018)
• One cup of raisins has 116 grams of sugar. (FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2017)
• Calories
• One cup of grapes has about 104 calories.
• One cup of raisins has over 480 calories.

Sugar

• Ten grapes have 34 calories and about 7.5 grams of sugar. (FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2018)
• Thirty raisins have 47 calories and under 10 grams of sugar.
• Grapes’ natural sugar content varies, so different types can be subject to nutritional value assessments.
• Some fruits, like cranberries, can be very tart, so sugar or fruit juices are added during drying.

Ways to Use

Fresh fruit may be higher in certain vitamins, but mineral and fiber content are retained during drying. Dried fruits are versatile and can be made part of a healthy, balanced diet that can include:

Trail Mix

• Mix dried fruits, nuts, and seeds.
• Monitor portion size.

Oatmeal

• Lightly sweeten oatmeal with a small serving of dried fruits for a hearty and healthy breakfast.

Salads

• Toss dark, leafy greens, fresh apple slices, dried cranberries or raisins, and cheeses.

Main Course

• Use dried fruit as an ingredient in savory entrees.

Protein Bar Substitutes

• Raisins, dried blueberries, apple chips, and dried apricots are convenient and last longer than fresh fruit, making them perfect when protein bars are unavailable.

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References

FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2017). Raisins. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/530717/nutrients

FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2018). Grapes, American type (slip skin), raw. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174682/nutrients

FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2018). Grapes, red or green (European type, such as Thompson seedles), raw. Retrieved from https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174683/nutrients