What dried fruits can you eat when losing weight?

Health benefits of dried fruits

Dried fruits retain most of the beneficial elements contained in fresh fruits. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential amino acids. True, there are also a lot of carbohydrates there, from 36 g (pineapple) to 75 g (dates) per 100 g of product. Calorie content per 100 g ranges from 199 kcal (apple) to 296 kcal (cherry). Vitamin C disappears when dried. But dried fruits contain other substances in concentrated form due to loss of liquid. After drying, about 20% of the original amount remains.

The body needs sugar and other carbohydrates even during a diet. It's better to get them along with a whole range of nutrients and antioxidants, in the form of fructose and glucose, rather than sucrose.

A person wondering whether it is possible to eat dried fruits while losing weight should take into account that along with weight loss, vitamins, minerals, and other vital substances are removed from the body. Bones are deprived of potassium and calcium, the heart and nerves lack magnesium. And the diet is so poor that it is difficult to compensate for the deficiency of nutrients with food. It is dried fruits that contain the necessary substances in a small volume of the product. You just need to eat them wisely.

Harm from taking

The Poles have an excellent saying: “If it’s too much, it’s too bad.” Literal translation – what is excessive is bad. She gives the best answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat dried fruits on a diet. In limited quantities, the product is not only allowed, but will also provide invaluable benefits. If you overeat, it will add extra centimeters to your waist.

The main objection to dried fruits during a diet is their high calorie content and glycemic index, significant glucose content. But the body needs to somehow maintain its existence. It is better to get calories and sugar from foods rich in essential nutrients than to fill your stomach with food that has little nutritional value. And then treat the heart, liver, and skeletal system simply because they did not receive the components necessary for normal functioning.

But for a diet based on dried fruits to be beneficial for weight loss, the products must be of high quality. Here's what may await buyers on the shelves:

• All industrially produced dried fruits are treated with chemicals to increase shelf life. This is clearly stated in GOSTs. Even if we assume that the content of preservatives and other harmful substances does not exceed the norm, this is enough for an organism weakened by diet.
• Figs, bananas, and some other dried fruits are often first fried a little in cheap oil, treated with phenol to preserve their characteristic color, and only then dried. This is unacceptable when dieting and can lead to health problems.
• Bright, elegant, shiny multi-colored dried fruits most likely owe their beauty to the sugar used during processing. All that remains of the original product is the name and appearance. These are no longer full-fledged dried fruits, but sugar candies.
• Healthy raisins can only be of a not too presentable dark color. Golden color is obtained by soaking in alkali.

If dried fruits are harmful, it means you ate too much of them or the product was prepared with sugar, oil or chemicals.

Optimal Portions of Dried Fruits

It is worth remembering that dried fruits are high in calories; they must be consumed within reasonable limits, especially if you want to lose weight. The maximum dosage of dried fruits per day is 40-50 grams. An alternative to dried fruits can be a compote made from them - it has beneficial properties and a reduced calorie content. Also, dried fruits and berries are an ideal component for smoothies and cocktails.

Daily consumption rate:

• pineapple - 2-3 rings;
• pear -2-3 pcs.;
• raisins - 10-15 pcs.;
• dried apricots - 5-6 pcs.;
• dates - 3-4 pcs.;
• prunes - 4-5 pcs.;
• apples - 5-7 pcs.;
• figs - 3-5 pcs.

In a diet based on the principles of proper nutrition, types of dried fruits such as dried cherries and melon are often used. When losing weight, their use is undesirable, since these types are high in calories - 290 and 341 kilocalories per 100 g of product, respectively.

What dried fruits help you lose weight?

If weight loss is under the supervision of a doctor, it is he who must determine which dried fruits are allowed on the diet. It’s more difficult to lose weight on your own. On the one hand, the products contain a lot of calories and have a glycemic index of more than 50, on the other hand, they include components that promote weight loss.

The content of nutrients differs in different dried fruits. For dietary nutrition, the most important are:

1. Prunes contain a lot of dietary fiber, which enhances intestinal motility. With its help, toxins and fats are removed faster. Dried fruit normalizes metabolism and has a beneficial effect on most organs, the skeletal and cardiovascular systems. Prunes improve mood, which is especially important when dieting - a woman “in sadness” can eat as much as a healthy body cannot process.
2. Pineapple is considered a fat burning food. Dried fruits made from it are especially useful for weight loss. There, in addition to vitamins and minerals, bromelain, a fat-breaking enzyme, is preserved after drying. The fiber contained in pineapple helps eliminate waste, toxins, and relieves swelling.
3. Raisins contain more vitamins and microelements than other dried fruits. It contains a lot of potassium, which during forced weight loss is removed from the body and requires replenishment, normalizes intestinal activity, and restores salt balance in case of dehydration. But the main thing is that raisins contain a lot of iodine, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. It is this organ that often causes excess weight.
4. Dried apricots are especially useful in diets for women over 40 years of age. It, like raisins, replenishes microelements that are quickly removed from the body during weight loss, especially potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Dried apricots normalize the activity of the heart, for which diet is a significant burden, and remove cholesterol. Pectin and fiber cleanse the intestines.
5. Dates contain substances that regulate the level of fatty acids. It is simply irreplaceable for people who combine diet and exercise. Physical activity and dietary restrictions sometimes sharply reduce blood sugar levels, and 2-3 dates will help quickly bring it back to normal.
6. Apple contains pectin, which activates metabolic processes, and fiber removes toxins.
7. Figs normalize the activity of the thyroid gland.

Features of using dried fruits on a diet

There will be no harm from one eaten product - this is an immutable fact. But often, having received permission to include natural sweets in the nutrition program, people begin to abuse them. A large amount of the product disrupts the diet program and eliminates the possibility of weight loss.

Dried apricots

These are components that are often used to create healthy menus. You can eat only healthy substances, without poisonous admixtures, and therefore the product should be washed first.

Among the beneficial features of dried apricots:

• A huge content of water-soluble vitamins, including group B - the one that is responsible for the normal condition of the skin, hair, and nervous system;
• The presence of potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron - all components that are necessary for the normal functioning of the heart, blood vessels, etc.

Be sure to read: The benefits and harms of soy sauce for weight loss

Dried apricots in small quantities can be included in a weight loss course.

Prunes

Another product rich in vitamin B, which additionally contains organic acids and pectins. Prunes are a real godsend for combating high blood pressure, vascular and heart diseases, and gastrointestinal tract diseases.

Figs

In addition to the organic acids and pectin contained in prunes, nature has also added tannins, as well as copper and iron, to figs. The product, rich in microelements, becomes an excellent remedy in the fight against anemia. It is often recommended for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Raisin

The product contains not only water-soluble vitamins. There are also a lot of fat-soluble ones - E and A. This tasty and beloved natural delicacy also contains selenium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, various mineral compounds, and therefore dried grapes are useful for people with heart disease, it is recommended for people who have respiratory problems system, blood pressure.

Apples and pears

These are real record holders for the content of fiber, iodine, sodium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Fruits also contain a lot of vitamins, pectin and organic acids. Dried apples and pears are natural antidepressants that are used to prepare vitamin compotes and decoctions that are beneficial for the digestive system.

Date fruit

The huge amount of calories and high glycemic index are compensated by the valuable composition. The product contains not only various vitamins, but also a large number of microelements. The dried fruit is recommended for hypertensive patients and heart patients; it improves mood and gives strength, but it is often impossible to find it in dietary programs. It is still quite high in calories, and there is a lot of sugar in it, so that during the process of losing weight the product should not be included in the nutrition program.

A pineapple

The huge content of organic acids and the ability to burn fat - all this attracts people who go on a diet. The elements include vitamins, minerals, microelements, and a lot of dietary fiber. This valuable product is recommended for people with hormonal imbalances; it is included in the nutrition program for patients with hypothyroidism. However, you should choose fruit that has not been additionally processed with sugar syrup.

What not to eat when losing weight

Beautiful, too bright dried fruits should be discarded. They were probably prepared with sugar, oil, or other dietary undesirable substances. You should not buy dried exotic fruits, about which little was known in Russia and neighboring countries a few years ago.

Traditional dried fruits, when there are no contraindications, you can eat everything. The question is how much. For example, 1-2 figs a day will bring great benefits without weight gain, 5 will ruin your diet, 10 will make your waist wider by several centimeters, 20 can cause nausea and health problems.

Replacement for sweets

Reviews from those losing weight say that dried fruits are a complete and ideal replacement for sweets during a diet from a weight loss point of view. Despite the fact that the number of calories in 100 grams of figs and 100 grams of sweet buns is approximately the same, the benefits of dried fruits are much greater. And not everyone manages to eat 100 grams of them at a time. But more than one bun can go away in one sitting.

Replacing traditional snacks with a small amount of dried fruit leads to the fact that appetite decreases quite sharply and in order to satisfy hunger, a much smaller portion is needed. Accordingly, excess weight gradually disappears. The rate of weight loss is small, 3-5 kilograms per month, but the result is stable. Additional bonuses are a complete absence of constant hunger, vigor and good mood. Isn’t this the dream of all those who lose weight!

How to take dried fruits correctly

It depends on the time, method of administration, and amount of food eaten whether dried fruits will help you lose weight or make you gain weight even more. It is better to eat them in the morning or in the first half of the day, during or after the main meal. Dried fruits should not be consumed on an empty stomach. Before eating, they must be doused with boiling water.

Dosage

If you are fighting excess weight on your own, without the help of a nutritionist who lists all foods in grams and the time of their intake, you need to understand the one handful rule. You can eat any dried fruits in the morning. But there should be as many of them as can be hidden in a cupped palm.

This is even less than it seems: 1-2 figs, about 6-8 pieces of prunes or dried apricots, 10-15 dates. It all depends on the size of the dry fruit and your hand. But this is quite enough. For example, to stimulate intestinal function, 2-3 prunes are enough. You can only eat one name of dried fruit!

To enjoy them, you need to chew them well and wash them down with plenty of water or kefir. This way you can satisfy your hunger with other foods.

Contraindications

If a person has an allergy or intolerance to a certain fruit, it should not be consumed in dried form either. The product is contraindicated in case of exacerbation of ulcers or other gastrointestinal diseases, especially on an empty stomach. Diabetics can eat dried fruits only after the permission of the attending physician and in the doses recommended by him.

Such useful pineapples for weight loss may be incompatible with some antibiotics. Raisins are contraindicated in cases of high obesity, dried apricots are contraindicated in cases of hypotension and a low pulse. People with kidney stones should not eat dates. Nursing mothers are advised to avoid prunes - they can cause diarrhea and colic in the baby.

Everything is good in moderation. Dried fruits in small quantities will reduce the psychological stress of dieting and provide the body with substances that it does not receive due to a limited diet. Eating them in moderation will lead to weight gain and health problems.

Dried fruit recipes

Cleansing mixture

Ingredients: 250 grams of dried apricots, 250 grams of prunes, 200 grams of figs and raisins, half a glass of aloe juice, 2 tbsp. l. senna.

Preparation:

• Pour boiled water over clean dried fruits for half an hour;
• drain the water and grind the mixture in a blender;
• mix with aloe juice and senna;
• use 1 tbsp at night. l.

Ingredients: 30 grams of dried pears, apples, dried apricots, prunes and one spoon of pistachios and almonds.

Preparation:

• Pour boiled water over clean fruits for 20 minutes;
• mix with nuts;
• add lemon juice to taste;
• Add crushed ice before use.

Ingredients: take raisins, dried apricots, prunes, dried cherries in equal parts.

Preparation:

• fill with clean water;
• boil;
• strain;
• drink a glass 15 minutes before meals.

Eating dried fruits for weight loss should be done in moderation. It is advisable not to eat them as a separate meal, but to eat them for breakfast with buckwheat or oatmeal. You can eat a few pieces or berries after eating so that you don’t want sweets.

Cereal porridge

Ingredients:

• 50 grams of rice;
• 50 grams of buckwheat;
• 70 grams of rolled oats;
• 20 grams each of prunes, dried apricots and figs.

To prepare it, take several cereals: rolled oats, rice and buckwheat. Boil everything over low heat without adding salt or oil to the porridge. After the cereals have swollen, add finely chopped figs, prunes and dried apricots.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of water;
• 500 g of various dried fruits: dried apricots, wild pears, prunes, apples, peaches, etc.

Rinse the ingredients thoroughly and add them to purified water. After the first boil, begin to “simmer” the compote over low heat for about 5 minutes. Because You will not add sugar to the compote; you need to let it brew well. If desired, cover and leave overnight.