Are dried fruit a healthy snack option ?

[Golden Triangle]

I have recently started snacking in the evening with various dried fruits, dried strawberry, cranberry & a pack containing mixed tropical fruits, I'm concerned that they maybe high in sugar/fructose and not helping me to lose a bit of weight, normally I would devour half a pack of Digestive biscuits ???? I'm off the booze and doing as much as I can manage on my exercise bike, any advice gratefully received thanks.

[BritManToo]

Why not eat fresh local fruit? it's not as if there's any lack, and dried fruit is usually expensive in comparison.

[blinkers]

Dried fruit can supply your body with large amounts of antioxidants, Dried Fruit can also boost your fiber and nutrient intake, you should note however that dried fruit are also high in sugar and calories and can cause problems when eaten in excess.

Basically dried fruits should only be eaten in small amounts and with other nutrition.

 

My other thought would be is if you are on medication there would be certain things you need to watch for. As an example only, someone on Warfarin, wouldn't want to pig out on cranberries because one interferes with the other.

You would be better off getting medical advice or onto medical internet sites and checking things out like this, rather than posting here.

 

I guess it's the same as everything, most things taken in moderation may be ok.

[jak2002003]

NO!!!!!!

 

They are CONCENTRATED, full of calories and sugars. Most of the vitamins will have been destroyed in the drying process.  They do have high fiber.  But the unhealthy side outweighs the healthy.

 

Actually even fresh fruit is not as healthy as people have been made to believe.  Such they have lots of fibre and vitamins, but that's about it.  They are also sugary and the acid in them erodes your teeth.  Plus there days, unless you buy organic, they are full of chemicals.  Vegetables are much better alternative to fruits.

 

A much healthier alternative to the replace the dried fruit would be something like roasted pumpkin seeds, unsalted (or you lightly salt them yourself) mixed nuts, seeds etc.  Roasted almonds are one of the top healthy ones... and their are packed with nutrients and have been shown to help in weight loss.

 

Also the purple / orange steamed sweet potatoes are delicious (better when still hot) and taste sweet to meet any sugar cravings you might have, yet they are great to eat to loose weight and really fill you up for a long time too due to their high fiber contents.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubascuba3]

For snacking rather than crisps and peanuts and chocolate, i have muesli with milk and a small banana. Weetabix is also good. Porridge would fill you up but i only have for breakfast

[Taggart]

Try your best to stick with cooked whole grains, starchy vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, legumes and fresh fruit, and see if that helps you to lose weight.

[Mister Fixit]

If you are eating dried fruit for supposed 'weight loss', why not just eat a tablespoon of sugar instead and reduce the profits of the manufacturer and supplement your wallet?

 

Seriously, dried fruit is stuffed full of concentrated sugars (fructose) and that is the antithesis of what you want.  Sugar is an absolutely unnecessary food and is not needed at all.  We only eat it because it tastes nice, but you don't need it.  

 

If you really want to lose weight then forget any type of fruit, any root/starchy vegetable (so dump those carrot fingers that people munch on thinking they are healthy) and STOP eating anything high carb.  

 

Eat a low carb, high fat diet (often called keto) and the weight will fall off.  My go-to snack is kep moo - pork scratchings.  

 

It's the only way and I lost 25 kgs doing exactly that. In Feb 2017 I was 102 kgs an my blood pressure was 145/95.  Started keto May 2017 and lost 12 kgs and my BP was 100/60.  The nurse couldn't believe it and did it again 10 minutes later - 105/65.  

 

A year later and I am still 75 kgs with similar BP and my BMI went from 34 to 25.  My cholesterol is back to normal as well after being 20% up previously.  

 

[Mister Fixit]

On 10/13/2018 at 9:39 PM, Taggart said:

Try your best to stick with cooked whole grains, starchy vegetables, non-starchy vegetables, legumes and fresh fruit, and see if that helps you to lose weight.

That's about the best way to INCREASE weight!  

 

NO STARCH AT ALL if you want to lose weight!  Bad advice.  Seriously.  

 

Any vegetables should be green and leafy.  That's the only ones that will help.  Tomatoes are out too - too much sugar.  

[Mister Fixit]

On 10/13/2018 at 5:29 PM, scubascuba3 said:

For snacking rather than crisps and peanuts and chocolate, i have muesli with milk and a small banana. Weetabix is also good. Porridge would fill you up but i only have for breakfast

Muesli is VERY high in carbs and calories and not at all a good way to lose weight.  

 

My two snacks are kep moo (pork scratchings/rinds) or those little crispy fried fish you can get on the market stalls.  Very filling due to the high fat content - it's fat that fills you up and makes you feel satiated for longer.  Carb-rich foods make you feel full but only for a short time as they are processed quicker than carbs and protein.

 

That's once reason why the Thais eat about 7 meals a day,  because the refined white rice they insist on eating is broken down way faster than fat or protein.  

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Probably better than the half packet of biscuits! But dried fruit is pretty calorific so if you are aiming to lose weight there are probably better things you could be eating.

 

With that being said, you can quite easily still lose weight and regularly eat dried fruit just as long as you are regularly in a caloric deficit. 

 

For that matter, you could regularly eat biscuits and as long as you are in a caloric deficit, you still lose weight. 

 

 

 

 

[Burma Bill]

On 10/13/2018 at 4:26 PM, BritManToo said:

Why not eat fresh local fruit? it's not as if there's any lack, and dried fruit is usually expensive in comparison.

I totally agree as there is a wide variety that can be purchased (when in season) from your local market or even Tesco, BIG C, Tops, Rimping (Chiang Mai) and Makro supermarkets. I always wash the fruit before eating - just to be on the safe side.

[nickmondo]

eat what you want and get your arse down the gym!

works for me.

and I am a former RN PTI.

 

[Taggart]

12 hours ago, Mister Fixit said:

That's about the best way to INCREASE weight!  

 

NO STARCH AT ALL if you want to lose weight!  Bad advice.  Seriously.  

 

Any vegetables should be green and leafy.  That's the only ones that will help.  Tomatoes are out too - too much sugar.  

Well, that's not what I've seen.  People who include starches as part of their diet tend to lose weight.  Oh, and tomatoes are included as well, along with the leafy greens, etc. 

[peterb17]

I presume you are trying to lose weight- to be honest there is a simple formula- if your energy intake is less than your energy expenditure- you will lose weight. 

 

My view is that snacking has caused many problems- why are you snacking on biscuits etc. 

 

Unless you are manual worker ( no) or perhaps live in a very cold climate(no)  - you just do not need any more than two meals a day - and cut way down on portion sizes. 

 

On the other hand dried fruits and nuts are not too bad - in moderation perhaps with a cereal. Apart from some quite specialised cells - there is a good reason why the body goes to a lot of effort to maintain a constant blood sugar level.

 

Although I must admit - avoid that fiendish American invention: high fructose corn syrup- not good. 

 

Enjoy your dried  fruit - in moderation 

[Ulic]

Healthier than a chocolate bar but not really a healthy snack. Eat some fresh fruit instead. More filling, fewer calories, a higher level of vitamins. 

[Foexie]

The answer on your question is no but could be yes too.

 

The major reason is you will eat just to much from it and like that will eat much more sugar then when you eat fresh fruit.

So if you can stop eating them like you eat fresh fruit it can be a healthier snack then cookies or other candy.

But dried fruit is very handy to eat with yoghurt or something or inside muesly.

 

I recently saw a test with kids. Some did get a box of raisins, wish contained about 90 raisins, and others the same number of fresh grapes. The raisins were eaten in a few minutes. But the children couldn't eaten all those grapes in the hour they used for doing this test. Sometimes not even with 2.

 

But i have another suggestion for you.

 

Me to struggle with my weight. Since 10 days i start to do something about it.

 

Last week i went to my GP  and he checked me out. Yesterday i went back, checked my weight again and i lost 2Kg.

 

I haven't changed my lifestyle this week. Only did start to take some supplements. And even it should be to short for those to work already i have the results.

 

Now i take every day calsium, magnesium and zinc and CoQ10 combined with 1 spoon of coconut oil.

 

And yes now there will be saying it doesn't work and/or you don't need them, i suggest to do same as me and try it out. It seems to work for me.

[elgenon]

On 10/13/2018 at 2:34 AM, jak2002003 said:

NO!!!!!!

 

They are CONCENTRATED, full of calories and sugars. Most of the vitamins will have been destroyed in the drying process.  They do have high fiber.  But the unhealthy side outweighs the healthy.

 

Actually even fresh fruit is not as healthy as people have been made to believe.  Such they have lots of fibre and vitamins, but that's about it.  They are also sugary and the acid in them erodes your teeth.  Plus there days, unless you buy organic, they are full of chemicals.  Vegetables are much better alternative to fruits.

 

A much healthier alternative to the replace the dried fruit would be something like roasted pumpkin seeds, unsalted (or you lightly salt them yourself) mixed nuts, seeds etc.  Roasted almonds are one of the top healthy ones... and their are packed with nutrients and have been shown to help in weight loss.

 

Also the purple / orange steamed sweet potatoes are delicious (better when still hot) and taste sweet to meet any sugar cravings you might have, yet they are great to eat to loose weight and really fill you up for a long time too due to their high fiber contents.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

So vegis don't have chemicals? Fruits are very healthy. Eat the skin (if edible). Anything in excess is bad. If you regularly drink water and brush, the acid doesn't matter. Juice is too sugary especially the kind you normally get in Thailand. Are walnuts now recognized as better than almonds? A variety is good. Raw or steamed vegis are great, also contain sugars. Cooking the vegis erodes the vitamins.

I had a friend who blendered fresh fruit often. Became hypoglycemic.

[jak2002003]

1 hour ago, elgenon said:

So vegis don't have chemicals? Fruits are very healthy. Eat the skin (if edible). Anything in excess is bad. If you regularly drink water and brush, the acid doesn't matter. Juice is too sugary especially the kind you normally get in Thailand. Are walnuts now recognized as better than almonds? A variety is good. Raw or steamed vegis are great, also contain sugars. Cooking the vegis erodes the vitamins.

I had a friend who blendered fresh fruit often. Became hypoglycemic.

Of course vegetable have chemicals on them.  But, its much easier to get a wide variety of organic vegetables (and they are usually cheaper) then organic fruit.

 

The chemicals are CONCENTRATED in the skin of fruits and vegetables, so I advise peeling them, unless they are organic.  

 

Brushing your teeth after eating acidic fruit will erode the enamel FASTER … this is very bad advise.  

 

You are right about fruit juice being to sweet.  But the OP is asking if dry fruit is healthy, not about fruit drinks.

 

 

[BurgerGung]

Well, drink before you snack! I found that one is often mistaking thirst for hunger.

 

In Vietnam, they sell dried strawberries & tamarinds. I fancy kiwis and oranges etc., too. But many are sugar coated and won't be healthy.

 

How about consuming psyllium husk daily? It has basically no calories and will boost your metabolism and give the gut a work out.

 

Talking about work outs, add resistance training to your cardio. Go buy some dumbells of the right weight...

 

Good luck!

[fakename]

According to these post, Everything is bad for you and Anything is good for you! Just remember to top it off with a few Beers!

[tominbkk]

If you are going to eat dried fruit stick to berries.  Strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, etc.  Even then though it

is really easy to overeat on that stuff.

[mogandave]

If you are recently off the booze, you're body is likely craving sugar, hard candies are good as while they are pure sugar, they reduce the craving, they last a long time and they keep forever.

 

As others have stated, for losing weight, dried fruit is not great.