Is There Extra Sugar In The Dried Fruit? Here's How To Find Out

Video: Is There Extra Sugar In The Dried Fruit? Here's How To Find Out

Video: Is There Extra Sugar In The Dried Fruit? Here's How To Find Out
Video: Dried Fruit, Cancer and Diabetes? 2024, September
Is There Extra Sugar In The Dried Fruit? Here's How To Find Out
Is There Extra Sugar In The Dried Fruit? Here's How To Find Out
Anonim

The best alternative when we feel like eating something sweet in the afternoon is dried fruit. Waffles and chocolates can be replaced with dried fruits - dates, figs, apricots, apple chips, etc.

In the seasons when there are not many fresh fruits, dried fruits are the salvation of a healthy diet. They can be used to prepare various recipes, to be combined in desserts or salty foods.

In the industrial drying of the fruits are used:

- Glucose or sugar syrups - the purpose is to increase the sweetness of the fruit, but this negatively affects the health of people with asthma.

- alpha toxins - they cause cancer;

- sulfur dioxide and sulfates - the goal is to keep the fruit fresh and bright. They negatively affect people with asthma.

- glycerin, which gives shine and smoothes the surface of the fruit.

When dried, the liquid of the fruit evaporates and they reduce their total volume and the sugar is felt more intensely. This makes dried fruits sweeter than fresh ones, but does not mean that all dried fruits are additionally sweetened with sugar syrups. Sugar preserves the durability of the fruit longer.

Dried figs
Dried figs

How can we tell if there is extra sugar in dried fruit?

Some of the dried fruits are sold with a visibly whiter color. It is obtained because they are rolled in rice flour. Fruits that are dried in a wood oven are more useful. More and more manufacturers are noticing this way of drying because it is healthier.

The fruits that are packaged must have a label and it says whether they contain extra sugar or other sweeteners. Nutritional value and calories are a good guide for the content of extra sugar in the fruit.

Fruits that are loose usually do not indicate the presence or absence of sugar, but only the price. In the absence of information, it is good to look at the appearance of dried fruit.

Here are some tricks we can use to recognize healthy fruits:

- The more crushed and unsightly fruits are closer to their most natural appearance;

Caramelized fruits
Caramelized fruits

- When the fruits are darker in color, they show that the fruits do not have extra sugar;

- More exotic fruits such as papaya, pineapple, mango are usually not dried, but candied. You will easily recognize them because they are cut into the correct shape and are harder to the touch;

- Ask the sellers themselves if the fruits contain additional sweeteners or sugar. They are obliged to have this information and show it to you.

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