Dried fruits are a great alternative to added sugar. They are suitable for sweetening desserts and baked goods, and are especially preferred by people trying to avoid refined and added sugars in their diet.
There are many ready-made desserts on the market that contain dried fruit and are presented as he althy or suitable for weight loss. But is this really true?
Are dried fruits suitable for weight loss or are fresh fruits the better option for this purpose?
According to WebMD, dried fruits cannot help with weight loss, although on the other hand, they are extremely beneficial due to their nutritional properties. Losing weight is definitely not one of the benefits they bring.
Dried fruits can even lead to weight gain. They are much higher in calories than fresh fruit. In addition, they have significantly higher concentrations of carbohydrates and sugars. Since they are dehydrated, their fiber content is also higher. If you consume large amounts of dried fruit, you are more likely to feel full, but you are also more likely to gain weight.
Some dried fruits are higher in calories and higher in sugar than others. For example, dried dates have a much higher glycemic index than sugar. They are also a high-calorie food. Just one dried date contains as many as 66 calories. That means eating a handful of dates will add an extra 400 calories to your total intake.
Prunes are another popular fruit that is very he althy and rich in nutrients, but can make you gain weight. Just one small serving of 30 grams of prunes contains 67 calories. Prunes are less caloric than dates, but you should still be careful with their quantity and take into account the calorie intake in other meals. Dried apricots are also high-calorie dried fruits. Raisins are also very high in calories and saturated with fruit sugars.
To lose weight it is better to turn to fresh fruits. Among them there are some that are particularly useful in losing weight because they are poorer in fruit sugars and calories.
Unlike their dried counterparts, fresh fruits are low in calories but still provide a good amount of nutrients, according to he althline.com. Including more fresh fruits in your diet can help you lose a few pounds, but they should not be overdone either, as they are a high-carbohydrate food, which means they carry sugars to the body.
Most fruits contain a lot of fiber which prolongs the feeling of satiety while improving metabolism. This promotes weight loss and can help replace high-calorie foods with low-calorie foods that are just as filling.
Some fruits are low in calories than others. Grapefruit and berries, for example, are among the lowest in calories. Bananas have more calories, as do apples. They are also more saturated with sugars. The richest in antioxidants are strawberries and blueberries, according to he althline.com. High-calorie fruits are also suitable for a weight loss diet, but should be consumed in smaller quantities.
