7/21/2023 0 Comments Are freeze dried fruit healthyHere’s a summary of why freeze dried fruit is such a wonderful and healthy snack. The benefits range from anticancer, reduced inflammation, improving brain function, supporting insulin function and improving osteoarthritis. There is some impressive research on freeze dried berries, including strawberries, blueberries and black raspberries. The coolest part? Unopened, freeze dried fruit can live happily in the pantry for 25 years. This is particularly impressive as water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C, beta carotene and B vitamins are sensitive to most cooking methods. All of the fibre is preserved and around 95% of the nutrient content as well. Here’s some typical freeze dried fruit examples:ĭue to the low freezing temperature, produced under vacuum pressure, freeze dried fruit retains most of the nutritional value, colour and shape of its original form. It’s an especially clever invention for kids as there’s no sticky mess.įreeze dried fruit also re-hydrates, almost back to a fresh state, making it ideal for smoothies, yoghurt or ice cream. It’s perfect in a trail mix or in your backpack on long road trips. It travels really well, similar to traditional dried fruit. It’s completely different which is what makes it so great.Ĭrush it over ice cream or add it to granola. It’s virtually weightless and doesn’t have the same chewy texture you’d expect in most traditionally dried fruits. It’s crunchy and can satisfy that carby-potato-chip craving we sometimes (often) have. The third stage is a secondary drying step where any remaining unbound water molecules are desorbed from the drier food parts.įreeze dried fruit is like a concentrated version of the real thing. The first involves quickly freezing, the second is slowly drying, where the ice components are sublimed (removed or changed) at sub-atmospheric pressure. The low temperature also helps lessen nutrient losses, which are often seen in air or oven dried processing.įor the detail nerds, the freeze drying process occurs in 3 stages. This process is a unique form of food preservation as it protects the cell structure and shape with no major loss in fruit volume. It takes a whole week to complete and the final products are stored completely airtight to preserve them. Then with the surrounding pressure slowly lowering, the frozen components undergo a chemical change from solid to gas. But avoid the added sugars, and keep track of calories.In contrast to regular dried fruits (like sultanas, dates, dried mango etc) freeze-dried fruits are firstly frozen to -40 ☌ using a blast freeze vacuum chamber. So, by all means keep eating dried fruits: they are full of healthy nutrients. People with diets rich in plant phenols have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, several kinds of cancer, and possibly degenerative brain diseases. Fiber fights heart disease, obesity, and some types of cancer (although its possible protective effect against colon cancer is controversial). When the new Nutrition Facts labels approved by the government start appearing, the amount of added sugars in a serving will be easy to determine.ĭried fruits also contain more fiber and more of the antioxidants called phenols than fresh fruit, per ounce. Another matter of concern is that some dried fruit makers add sugars to dried fruit (which already contain their own natural sugars). I rarely eat three fresh apricots or 30 grapes in the course of a few hours, but I frequently consume more than three dried apricots and 30 raisins in a few hours. Because dried fruit is so much smaller than the fresh fruit from which it comes, it's easier to consume a lot of calories eating dried fruit. That's as true of dried fruit as fresh fruit. But there are healthy calories and unhealthy ("empty") calories, and fruit is a healthy source of calories. can be wonderful!" Food contains calories, and eating too many calories-even of healthy foods-leads to weight gain. The truth is that the actress and comedian Mae West was wrong when she allegedly said "Too much of a good thing. But I hear that you gain a lot of weight eating dried fruit, which is not healthy. I love dried fruit and thought it was healthy.
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