Is Dried Fruit Healthy?

If you keep your servings in check, the convenient snack is better than many alternatives

Rachel Nania,

AARP

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En español

Published December 20, 2024

Feig & Feig/StockFood

It’s the star of the bulk food aisle, a staple in any hiker’s backpack and a key ingredient in your classic holiday fruitcake. But despite its name and origins, dried fruit often finds itself at the center of debate: Is it good for you? Or is it a sugar and calorie bomb?

Here’s what you need to know about dried fruit, including how to shop for the healthiest options.

Is dried fruit high in sugar?

All fruit contains sugar — not the kind you find in candy bars and cereals, but natural sugar. One large apple has about 22 grams of the sweet stuff, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); an orange has about 14 grams.

When you dry a piece of fruit, you remove nearly all the water, but the sugar content remains in a concentrated form, explains Alice H. Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. A half of a raw apricot has about 1.6 grams of sugar, according to the USDA’s FoodData Central tool, which is similar to the amount of sugar in half of a dried apricot.

The difference is, with dried fruit it can be easier to consume larger portions (and more calories) because you’re left with a smaller volume. You wouldn’t eat five or six raw apricots in one sitting, but it’s easy to eat five or six dried apricots. Similarly, 10 fresh grapes might be a satisfying snack, whereas 10 raisins don’t even fill your palm, so throwing back a handful isn’t difficult.

“You need to watch your serving size; it's not a one-to-one,” says Amanda Sawyer, a registered dietitian and associate professor in the department of nutrition at University of North Carolina’s Gillings School of Global Public Health. Indeed, a half cup of grapes, about 15 total, contains roughly 7.5 grams of sugar, whereas a half cup of raisins contains about 47 grams of sugar, according to the USDA. “You don't want to eat the size of a whole apple in dried fruit,” Sawyer says.

Beware of added sugars and other ingredients

Some dried fruits — particularly candied fruits — can contain added sugar so you’ll want to pay attention to the nutrient facts panel and ingredient list, Lichtenstein says.

Cranberries, which are naturally tart, typically contain added sugar in their dried form. So do some brands of banana chips. Know, too, that some banana chip products even contain saturated fats, like coconut oil, so be sure to pay attention to the package and look for dried banana chips with no added sugars or oils.

And when you mix dried fruits with say, the butter, sugar and eggs in fruitcake or white chocolate bark, any nutritional benefits are no doubt negated.

Another consideration: Many types of dried fruits are sticky in texture, Lichtenstein points out, “so it's a good idea to be a little more aware of dental hygiene” after you eat it.

What about fiber and other nutrients?

You don’t lose out on fiber when you opt for dried over fresh, and that’s good news for the vast majority of Americans who are not meeting the recommended 25 to 30 grams per day.

“If you're drying a piece of fruit that has the apple peel and the apple, you're getting the same amount of fiber as you would if you ate the apple, both the peel and the inside,” Sawyer says.

And one plus, she adds: just like dried fruit has more sugar per volume than fresh fruit, it also has more fiber per volume. “So that's a really good thing about it,” she says — especially for older adults who may experience dwindling appetites and are looking for ways to pack in nutrition where they can. Extra fiber can be good for constipation relief too, which is a common complaint in older adults.

One cup of dried apples has about 7.5 grams of fiber, whereas 1 cup of fresh, chopped apples has about 2.6 grams of fiber.

What is fiber?

Fiber is the material in plant-based foods that the body can’t absorb, so it passes through the system undigested.

It can help regulate blood sugar, keep hunger in check and promote regular bowl movements. According to the American Heart Association, fiber also helps protect against a number of age-related health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Dried fruit is going to continue to hold on to some of its other nutrients, as well, Sawyer says, such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and some antioxidants.

However, not all of the vitamins will survive the drying process, she explains. For example, “it’s unlikely it's going to have as much of something like vitamin C, which gets destroyed by heat,” Lichtenstein says.

A few other perks

One nice thing about dried fruit is that it’s convenient, SNAP eligible and shelf stable, Sawyer says. “And if you live alone, buying fruit in bulk is hard because it goes bad.”

That’s not to say dried fruit — which you can make at home using a low-temp oven or a food dehydrator — should be a replacement for fresh or frozen, Lichtenstein says. “But it's a reasonable choice,” she says, especially compared to other snack foods that lack fiber and other nutrients.

Lichtenstein recommends using dried fruit rather than table sugar or other sweeteners in vinaigrettes and marinades. The fruit will soften in the liquid and release sweetness and flavor, she says. Sawyer suggests throwing dried fruit on top of oatmeal or plain yogurt to boost the fiber and nutrient profile.

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