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How Good For You Is Dried Fruit?

Dried fruits are small “nutrient powerhouses” and offer some advantages over fresh fruits, including a longer shelf life. In addition, did you know that 30g of dried fruit counts as 1 of your 5 a day, compared with 80g of fresh fruit?

Dried fruits are important contributors to your daily fibre intake. They generally contain more fibre than the same size serving of their fresh counterparts. Dried apricots, for example, contain 6.3% fibre (making them high in fibre), while fresh apricots only contain 1.7% (not even enough to be a source of fibre).

Because most of the water is extracted from dried fruits, their nutrients are concentrated. This also applies to some vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits like apricots, raisins, prunes and figs are good sources of minerals such as iron, potassium and copper. These minerals carry a number of health benefits. Some examples are shown below:

• Iron contributes to the normal function of the immune system and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
• Potassium contributes to normal muscle function and the maintenance of normal blood pressure
• Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system

Dried fruit are also a healthier alternative to refined sugars for sweetening foods (e.g. adding to breakfast cereals, porridge or natural yoghurt).

At Whitworths we are passionate about nutritious, naturally tasty food, as created by Nature! As part of our Good by Nature Nutrition policy, we are determined to help the nation to eat healthier and we know it’s important to get it right from a young age to set the right habits for life. We believe dried fruit are an integral part of a healthy diet! Shop our products online and in-store to give them a try!