Are dried fruits good for you?

Welcome back to Instantia´s blog! We have realized that there are many doubts regarding if dried fruits are good for health; there are many myths about these foods and in this post, we want to share with you why dried fruits are good for you.

1. Not all dehydrated fruits are the same

Let’s start by explaining that not all the dried fruits that exist in the market are healthy. There are several ways to dehydrate fruits, and it can be by means of freezing, heat or sugar.

Fruits that contain a lot of sugar are called crystallized fruits; the process to make this type of fruit is to boil them in water with sugar, the process is repeated several times and the excess of sugar makes the microorganisms cannot grow. If you buy crystallized fruit or dehydrated fruit with added sugar the calories increase as well as the sugar content which is no longer healthy because it is sometimes doubled or triple the amount of sugar in each portion.

Frozen fruit is also a healthy option since the fruit freezes just when it is ripe, keeping its nutrients and due to the low temperature, the water content in the fruit freezes so the microorganisms do not grow.

The third type is dehydrated fruits by means of heat. This type of process has been used for hundreds of years, even the Romans used it and did so by placing the fruits under the sun. The only difference is that nowadays we use ovens to prevent the fruit from being contaminated by microorganisms on the wind and, because they do not have water, they do not spoil, because, without water, microorganisms cannot grow.
However, during the process on many occasions, they add dyes, flavorings or other additives that change their smell, taste, and appearance to make them more attractive to customers.

2. Check the nutritional table

To avoid confusion and not end up buying dehydrated fruits that in the end contain a lot of sugar or flavorings it is necessary to check the nutritional table of the products. This way you can see if it contains an additive that has modified the smell, color or flavor of the fruit.
In Instantia our fruits are 100% natural and organic; this means, from the moment of its cultivation we take care that the fruits do not receive pesticides and during the process we only eliminate the water by means of the heat, this causes that the fruits reduce their size in a 70% approximately (because it is the content of water that It is eliminated).

3. Flavor, vitamins, and minerals

The flavor of the dried fruits is sweeter than that of a natural fruit, but not because it contains added sugar, but because by eliminating the water, its size is reduced and the fructose of the fruit is concentrated together with the vitamins and minerals that it has.

The fruits we produce in Instantia contain lots of vitamins. However, studies have confirmed that when water is removed from fruits, some of the water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin A are lost. In the case of vitamin C, only 20% is retained and vitamin A retains 50%. On the other hand, the other minerals and vitamins are fully preserved so depending on the fruit you consume will be the amount you will get of different minerals and vitamins such as potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, vitamin B, among others.

Each fruit provides different amounts of vitamins and minerals for that reason it is important to vary the diet so that the body receives all the vitamins it needs to function properly.

4. When is it good to eat them?

They should be a complement to your diet. You should not only eat these fruits; you need to balance your meals, otherwise, it will not be healthy.

This type of food is ideal as a snack or complement in food. Their size and weight make them ideal to carry in the bag or backpack and eat them as a snack at any time of the day, they will give us energy, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are ideal for children’s lunch, for pregnant women and athletes.

Another widely used option is to consume them in smoothies. Smoothies are an ideal food for the morning, as they are quick to make and a full breakfast. In a smoothie you can add a half cup of the fruit of your choice, oatmeal, chia or flaxseed; and liquid depending on your choice can be any type of milk or water. It’s that easy to have a full, nutritious and delicious breakfast.

5. Dried fruits will make me gain weight?

The dehydrated fruits do not contain cholesterol, they contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals so they are ideal to include them in our daily diet, this food is normally related to diets to lose weight due to the high amount of nutrients that it has. However, it must be said that we have to be careful not to consume more than the recommended portions since having a smaller size, people tend to eat more.

It is necessary to consider that ½ cup of dehydrated fruits equals one whole fruit. So an abuse in this product could cause you to gain weight. However, this food in the recommended portions can help your diet plan because of its high nutrient and fiber content.

6. Why Instantia?

We are committed to the health of our clients, and we want to share our culture with the world, creating healthy and delicious products. That is why all our products are 100% natural we never use additives, sugar or preservatives on any of them. Thus you will have the security that you are consuming organic food, completely natural, with the nutrients that you need to focus on health helping you to fulfill your daily activities.

Begin a healthier life with Instantia!