When it comes to healthy snacks, it doesn’t get much better than fruit. Fruits (especially these ones) are a great source of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive—plus, they’re delicious and naturally sweet. That means they can help you get your sweet fix without loading you up with refined sugar and excess calories. However, while fresh fruit is a great option for your health, experts warn that dried fruit, especially varieties that contain added sugar, could have adverse effects if you’re not careful.
To learn more about why you should limit your intake of dried fruit, we checked in with Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet. She told us that this snack may be adding unnecessary sugar and calories to your diet. Read on for more information, and tips for enjoying dried fruit without putting your health at risk.
READ MORE: 3 Popular Foods People Think Are ‘Healthy’ But Are Actually So Bad For You
Health effects of dried fruit
While dried fruit is certainly a better option than many of the most popular sugary, processed snacks out there, Richards warns that it can still lead to its fair share of health effects if consumed in excess. That's because, if you're not careful about how much of it you eat, dried fruit could be sneaking a lot of extra calories and sugar into your diet.
"Dried fruit tends to be higher in sugar than I prefer to consume, primarily because it's highly concentrated in nature," she says. "This is primarily due to the preparation method which causes a high concentration of sugar and calories into a small serving size."
Alternatively, fruit contains a lot more water, which means you get a lot less calories and sugar per volume than you do when you consume the dried variety. It's also much easier to munch on handful after handful of dried fruit, so you're likely to run into the issue of overeating and may end up consuming more sugar than you should. "Due to the small nature of dried fruit it is easy to overeat on these snack items and the calories add up quickly," Richards notes. Yikes!
Health effects of excessive sugar intake include:
- Weight gain
- Digestive issues
- Diabetes and other diseases
- Breakouts on skin
- Tooth decay
- And more
We'll dive into some ways to reduce your risk of these issues while enjoying dried fruit below.
READ MORE: 3 Healthy Pantry Snacks You Can Enjoy While Losing Weight
The healthiest way to enjoy dried fruit
Luckily, you don't have to ditch dried fruit altogether for your health—you should just be conscious of the amount that you're eating and be sure to avoid varieties with added sugar.
While it can still be a healthy alternative to other sweet snacks. Richards says that dried fruit "should be consumed with moderation and is ideally paired with protein like nuts." This will help you limit your sugar intake, stay satiated, and avoid overeating. "Nuts can help add satiety to this snack and is altogether a nutrient dense option," she concludes.
Learn more about the benefits of nuts here.
The bottom line
All in all, remember that moderation is always key when it comes to a healthy diet. A handful of dried apricots or raisins can be a great way to please your sweet tooth without putting your health at risk. Just remember not to overindulge, and when in doubt, add some protein like nuts to the mix.
