A Short Guide to Dried Fruit: What It Is and How Much to Eat

Dried fruit is fresh fruit with most of its water removed — traditionally by the sun, more recently in an oven or a dehydrator. Nothing is added in the process itself: what changes is concentration, not composition.

What stays, what concentrates

Because it starts as whole fruit, dried fruit keeps most of the fibre, minerals and vitamins of the fresh version — vitamin C drops somewhat in drying, the rest holds up well. Sugar concentrates too: removing the water doesn't remove the sugar, so a handful of dried fruit carries meaningfully more sugar and calories, ounce for ounce, than the same weight of fresh fruit.

A handful, not a bowlful

Dried fruit is smaller and easier to eat by the handful, so it's easy to eat two or three servings' worth without noticing — five dried apricots go down a lot more easily than five fresh ones. Treat it the way you would nuts: a good everyday addition to porridge, granola or a trail mix, in a sensible portion rather than by the bagful.

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