While some people have enough with three meals a day, others prefer to have five, which implies thinking about an aperitif in the middle of the morning and a snack as a snack in the middle of the afternoon, something that has become very popular in Spain, even making us think that it is the only healthy option. Those who choose this option They avoid being hungry throughout the day by eating small mealssomething that not everyone needs because those who do not feel hungry between meals with the main ones will have enough.
This is even more common among those who seek take care of your diet or lose weightbut the amount of food we eat does not matter if we do not choose those options that are delicious and healthy in equal measure, helping us to turn those small changes in our habits into something habitual, something constant that we can always do. To do this, a good idea is to find that snack that we can take anywhere and have at those moments that we decide to do so. From Harvard they recommend dehydrated fruitwhich is not very common in our country.
Dehydrated fruit: the snack that Harvard recommends
There is little doubt about the benefits that fruits provide to our health. In fact, professionals recommend eat five pieces of fruits and vegetables a daysomething that we do not always achieve, so take advantage of those appetizers or snacks to increase a fruit intake that is usually a little low. One way to do it and avoid it being boring is vary the ways of taking itwhether by regularly changing fruits, eating them in fruit salad and mixing several, or opting for dehydrated fruit, as Harvard recommends doing.
Dehydrated fruit, as its name explains, is fruit from which most of the water it naturally contains has been removed. Whole fruits are used in this process, so this snack preserves the vitamins, minerals and fiber that the fruit contains before being treated. Its antioxidant properties are also maintained and in some cases they are even enhanced, although in the case of vitamin C it may be slightly affected by the process, being reduced due to its sensitivity to heat.
So far it seems like a great option to always have on hand and satisfy hunger when you need it, however, it is its concentration of sugars that raises doubts about whether this snack is as healthy as you might think. Dried fruit is sweeter because the drying process causes the fruit’s natural sugars to concentrate and increase. In addition, in some cases, manufacturers also add extra sugar, so it is worth paying attention to these details before purchasing.
Dehydrated fruit has more calories and more sugar than before being treated, so experts always recommend moderate consumption, used as a snack, as a garnish or as a treat and not as a substitute for fresh fruit.
How to dehydrate dried fruit
A very convenient way to eat dehydrated fruit is buy it like this in the supermarket or marketbut we risk that during the process they have added elements that we do not want to take, as happens with added sugar. To avoid this it is also possible prepare it at homeplacing the chopped fruit on an oven rack and baking it at about 55°C for two to four hours.
It is important to turn them every 20 minutes, although each fruit may have its own times and these will vary depending on the thickness of the sheets we have made. This can also be done with vegetables and if it is a task that is done frequently, you can use a dehydrator.
References
Warner, L. (2024, October 23). Dried fruit: Healthy snack, sugary treat, or somewhere in between? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/digital_first_content/dried-fruit-healthy-snack-sugary-treat-or-somewhere-in-between#app
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