Everybody wants to achieve a fit body so they can have a healthy body mass index (BMI). So people try to do fitness activities and have specific diet plans to achieve them. Now, new research highlights the benefits of eating dry fruits without gaining weight.
It is essential to have a healthy diet rich in nutrients, and physical activity to be fit. Diet's role in a person's health is vital because the food being consumed will become part of the body so it should contain multiple sources of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Dry fruits contain all these necessary nutrients that are vital for the body to stay fit. Its consumption in moderation is an effective way to boost energy levels without gaining weight.
Is eating dried fruit healthy?
Dry fruits have been used for thousands of years, particularly in the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Due to globalization, dry fruits have made their way across the world.
Drying fruits involved the removal of water in the fruit by sun-drying or a dehydrator. Drying the fruits would leave the sugars in them saturated, which means that the end product is a concentrated-sugar fruit.
Common fruits that are dried are dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, peaches, and figs. Other fruits rich in sugar are mango, pineapple, and berries. All these dry fruits are rich in fiber that acts as antioxidants, while some of them contain iron, magnesium, potassium, and carotenoids.
Despite the vitamins and minerals they have, these dry fruits cannot always be healthy. Why?
Well, Harvard Medical School said that food contains calories, and eating too much of it even from healthy food could lead to weight gain. Since dry fruits are fruits, they are a source of good calories.
But those from Harvard said that since dry fruits tend to be much smaller than fresh fruit, people tend to consume a lot of calories as they eat dry fruits. Besides, some dry fruits manufacturer add sugar to them even if the fruits are already sweetened by their natural sugars.
But soon, it would be easier for consumers to see how much sugar per serving does the dry fruit has once the Nutrition Facts label start appearing as approved by the government.
How to consume dry fruits?
Dry fruits should be eaten moderately at a certain amount. They can be eaten with other food items for flavoring and different tastes. For example, raisins can be mixed with walnuts in a cake, or it can also be put into a salad, or as a topping to oatmeal. Raisins and almonds also go well to make a high fiber cereal.
Moreover, dried apricots can be added to cereal, yogurt, and stews. Prunes can also be added to a stir-fry dish or chicken curry, can replace 50% of the fat in baking.
Dried figs can be eaten with fresh fruits or in a stir fry dish. It can also be placed over pear slices and topped with blue cheese. While dates can be cut and eaten with peanut, almond, or soybean. Dates are also perfect for bread and muffins to consume in baked form.
Dry fruits can be eaten every day but not too much to avoid overconsumption of calories. Dry fruits can be an alternative to fresh fruits to give the body the nutrients it needs and improve overall health.
Read More: Young Filipino Scientist Discovers Diabetes Curing Properties of a Local Fruit
Check out more news and information on Fruits on Science Times.
