Dried fruit is a fruit whose almost all water content has been removed through various drying methods. During this process, the fruit is harvested and a small, energetic dried fruit remains.
Raisins are the most common type, followed by dates, prunes, figs and apricots. Other types of dried fruits are also available – sometimes in the form of sweets (coated with sugar) – these include mangoes, pineapples, bananas and apples and strawberries.
Dried fruits can be stored for longer than fresh fruits and can be a useful snack, especially on long trips when there is no refrigerator.
Dried fruit is very nutritious. A piece of dried fruit has about the same amount of nutrients as fresh fruit, but is concentrated in a much smaller package. In terms of weight, dried fruits have up to 3.5 times more fiber, vitamins and minerals than fresh fruits. Therefore, one serving can provide a large percentage of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals. Dried fruits generally contain a lot of fiber and are a good source of antioxidants.
Several studies have shown that people who eat dried fruit weigh less than people who do not eat dried fruit.