Which dried fruits are better on a diet: raisins, dried apricots or prunes

Diet always means dietary restrictions.

Most of all, we have to limit ourselves to sweets, but not everyone finds it easy.

In order not to break down and not negate all the achievements of proper nutrition, you can choose foods for your diet that are acceptable and even healthy, but at the same time sweet.

One of the options is dried fruits, which are not only liked by many, but also very healthy.

Why should you limit the quantity?

It is possible to eat dried fruits on a diet; we are not even talking about a complete ban. They are healthy, contain many vitamins and minerals, help fight breakdowns, since they most often taste sweet, and many people replace candy or other sweets with them. But there must be moderation in everything.

They do not contain much sugar or glucose, although it is also present. Most of the calories come from fructose, which is also a simple carbohydrate, but has a slightly different effect on the body.

You can eat raisins, dried apples or, for example, prunes. But some types of dried fruits will have a high calorie content due to the large amount of fructose. This is the reason for limiting them in the diet.

However, not everyone can eat a large amount of dried fruits. The point is that they fill you up very quickly, often a few tens of grams bring a feeling of fullness, after which you don’t feel like eating at all for some time.

Effect of fructose

Fructose, roughly speaking, is a type of sugar that has a special effect on the human body. The bottom line is that it is absorbed very slowly by the stomach, but is quickly broken down by the body.

Fructose is sweeter than sugar. Almost half as much substance must be consumed to get the same sensation of sweetness. This is also a definite advantage in choosing fructose versus sugar.

Important! Fructose has a less harmful effect on tooth enamel than sugar and glucose.

Fructose has exactly the same molecular composition as glucose, but has a different structure. This means that it is still a simple carbohydrate that is easily converted into fat.

Using fructose in large quantities has negative effects on the body similar to consuming sugar.

Fructose can be used to somewhat replace sugar, but its amount still needs to be limited in the diet. Unlimited consumption will have many negative consequences.

Fructose does not cause the same insulin release as sugar consumption, so it is allowed in the diet of diabetics. However, they should not consume it unlimitedly, since a large amount also threatens obesity.

Is there any benefit

The benefits of certain products are determined by the content of minerals, vitamins, and other useful compounds in them, as well as the proportion of BJU. Most often, the composition contains the following substances in large quantities:

• magnesium;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• iodine;
• sodium;
• vitamins of group B, as well as C, A and P.

The amount of vitamin C will be less than in similar fresh fruits, since it does not tolerate any processing, including drying. But still he is present in the composition.

The benefit of such products lies in their composition rich in vitamins and minerals. This is especially acute in winter, when fresh fruit is not so easy to get.

Now everything is on sale, at any time of the year, but homemade dried fruits will be clearly healthier than chemically treated goods from supermarkets.

It is believed that a certain amount of dried fruits helps fight obesity if they replace the usual sweets, such as chocolate or candy, improves blood pressure, has a positive effect on the digestion process (due to its fiber content), and is also indicated for depression and heart problems.

Calorie content. Lowest calorie dried fruits (table)

When building a diet, it is important to consider which dried fruits are the most high-calorie, how much , for example, dried apricots can be consumed per day so as not to damage your figure. The table shows the least high-calorie dried fruits:

Fresh fruits will have less calories per 100 grams, but this is achieved due to the water content. When dried, it goes away, which is why there is such a difference.

Some types of dried fruits will be higher in calories, for example, dried bananas contain almost 400 kcal, dried melon - about 340 kcal.

Raisins are considered relatively high in calories; they can contain up to 300 calories, depending on the grape variety. It is possible to determine which dried fruit can be considered the lowest calorie product based on the content of carbohydrates and fats.

You need to decide individually whether you can eat raisins or not, dried apricots or not, or any other dried fruit on your diet. A certain amount is possible in any case, but if we are talking about a larger volume, then we should proceed from the total calorie content of the diet and the content of carbohydrates in it from other foods.

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Glycemic index of dried fruits

In winter and early spring, there is a natural shortage of fresh berries and fruits. Dried fruits will help fill the lack of minerals and vitamins .

Traditionally, dried fruits include raisins, dried apricots, prunes, figs, and dates. However, on the kitchen table of housewives you can often find dried pears, apples, cherries, quinces, cherry plums, dehydrated strawberries and raspberries.

Patients with diabetes, and simply people who adhere to a diet and monitor their health, should be especially careful when consuming dried fruits.

1. Dates . The index of dried (dried) dates is 146. This number is so high that a fatty piece of pork will seem like innocent broccoli. It must be consumed in extreme moderation. For some diseases, dates are generally contraindicated.
2. Raisins - GI is 65. As can be seen from the figure, this sweet berry cannot be abused in the daily diet. Especially if it is an ingredient in some kind of baked goods.
3. apricots and prunes . Their GI does not exceed 30. The low indicator indicates the usefulness of these dried fruits in many respects. In addition, prunes are a good antioxidant, rich in vitamins.
4. Figs - its GI is 35. According to this indicator, it can be compared with an orange. It will perfectly replenish the energy balance during fasting.

Which ones can you eat?

You can eat almost all dried fruits on your diet, but it is better to give preference to those that are lower in calories. However, each will additionally have some properties that are unique to him.

Prunes

It is considered an excellent antidepressant. It has an average calorie content, about 230 per 100 grams, and contains many vitamins and minerals.

Another positive property that is great for dieting is that it contains a lot of dietary fiber, which has a positive effect on digestion and helps remove toxins from the body.

Raisin

Raisins are allowed during a diet, but in limited quantities. It is quite high in calories, but at the same time very sweet and quickly fills you up.

Before replacing raisins with other products, you need to pay attention to their positive qualities. Consumption will benefit the thyroid gland due to the iodine contained in the composition, and will also have a positive effect on hair and skin.

Dried apples

Dried apples for weight loss are allowed in the same way as fresh ones. They contain many vitamins and minerals, they have a positive effect on digestion and the functioning of the body as a whole.

Apples contain a lot of iron, which is extremely important when dieting, since dietary restrictions can significantly reduce the intake of this mineral in the body. Eating apples will increase hemoglobin and strengthen the immune system.

Dried apricots

Dried apricots are made from apricots and have a pleasant taste. It cannot be said that when losing weight you can eat as much dried apricots as you want; you should still limit yourself somewhat, since it contains more than 200 kilocalories per 100 grams.

Dried apricots have a positive effect on bones and skin, as they contain potassium and calcium. It has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system, as well as the gastrointestinal tract.

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What determines the calorie content of fresh fruits?

The caloric value varies depending on the presence of dextrose, sucrose and glucose in the fruit, which is often noted in special tables. Dried fruits contain the most calories - they have the least amount of moisture, and accordingly, those with the highest degree of water content have the lowest calorie content.

This rule applies when considering fresh, frozen or dry fruits. For those who closely monitor their weight, naturally sweet bananas and grapes are contraindicated; they are also advised to avoid dried fruits.

For example, 100 g of already dried apple contains 231 kcal - this is 6 times more than the energy value of a fresh apple. In the case of canned fruits, the situation is similar; they are subjected to heat treatment, as a result of which some of the nutrients are removed, and additional calories are added due to sweet syrups.

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In order not to deny yourself fiber-rich fruits, you should eat them in the morning. Thus, the body is charged with energy, and carbohydrates are quickly broken down, without having time to be deposited in unnecessary places. In the evening, the human body prepares for sleep, and will want to leave work on calories consumed for later.

What to replace if you decide not to use

If someone who is losing weight decides to give up dried fruits completely, for example, due to intolerance to certain components or he simply does not like the taste, they can be replaced with other sweets.

Marmalade, marshmallows, marshmallows, and a little dark chocolate are allowed on a diet.

In any case, it is not recommended to completely deprive yourself of gastronomic joy, as this is fraught with breakdowns and, as a result, consumption of more harmful dishes.

Unloading and losing weight on dried fruits

A diet based on dried fruits alone will not be effective, since they do not contain protein and contain little or no fat. Existing on carbohydrates alone, and in their simple form, is quite harmful to the body.

Some doctors sometimes advise having fasting days, that is, not eating food at all or only a limited set of foods. This is done to cleanse the body.

Attention! It is often not recommended to arrange fasting days, as this will negatively affect the microflora and the general condition of the stomach.

A beginner will not be able to fast all day. During this period, you can drink water and eat some fruits, including dried fruits. They contain fiber, which will only help cleanse. You shouldn’t sit all day, for example, on dried apples. It is best to make a mixture containing different types of such products.

How much dried fruit can you eat per day on a weight loss diet?

There is no precisely adjusted dose, since this is a food product, not a medicine.

However, it is believed that the optimal dose for losing weight is 5-6 large pieces per day (dried apricots or prunes). Or no more than 75 g of raisins. Provided that dried fruits are the only sweet treat in the diet. If this is not the case, then the quantity should be reduced.

It is advisable to consume dried fruits together with nuts, which provide the body with protein and fats that are absent in dried fruits. But even here you should remember about the high calorie content of nuts.

A good snack for those losing weight is 3-4 dried fruits + 3-4 nuts. A snack is a small meal between main meals, such as an afternoon snack. And not eating lunch out of boredom and anxiety half an hour after it.

What will nutritionists say?

Most nutritionists, as well as professional athletes, believe that when dieting for weight loss, it is possible, and sometimes necessary, to consume dried fruits, since they can to some extent replace harmful sweets, contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and also saturate the body quite quickly.

Lidia Ionova, nutritionist

Nutritionist Lidiya Ionova, who works at the Medical Dietetic Center and is quite well known in society and on the Internet, advises using only homemade dried fruits in the diet, since industrial drying adds many dyes that negatively affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and have other negative properties. Sugar is also often added to such products during the soaking process, which is unacceptable on a diet.

Alexey Kovalkov, nutritionist

A professional doctor, Doctor of Science, author of many books and techniques, Alexey Kovalkov believes that you cannot simply replace, for example, chocolate with dried apricots. It is important to understand why someone who is losing weight constantly craves sweets and eliminate the cause, after which losing weight will be much easier.

But in general, he does not deny the benefits of dried fruits and considers them very useful. In his opinion, they can and should be included in the diet, but only if eating them is enjoyable.

Zinaida Rudenko, fitness bikini

The famous athlete, coach and blogger believes that most of the sweets sold in stores are very harmful. If possible, it is better to replace them with healthy products, including dried fruits, which have a number of beneficial properties.