Sneaky Nutrition

Looking for easy ways to add zing to recipes? Consider adding dried fruits to your meals and snacks, as they’re not only full of flavor, but packed with nutrition, too.

Picked fresh at the peak of ripeness, fruits are then dried to preserve their nutrients. You can enjoy seasonal fruit all year long, versus only when in season. Because dried fruit needs no refrigeration, it’s also a great snack for packing in school lunches, gym bags or keeping at your office desk.

A serving of dried fruit counts as one serving of fruit toward daily nutrition goals. Dried fruits also contain no added sugar — they just provide natural sweetness. Here are three dried fruits to try.

1Apricots
Plump, sweet and delicious, one serving of dried apricots is only 100 calories. Apricots are a good source of vitamin A and potassium. Mediterranean and Indian dishes are great uses for dried apricots. Try chopping them up for a rice pilaf, or to balance spice and heat in an Indian meal. Chopped dried apricots can also enhance baked goods like muffins and oatmeal cookies.

2Prunes
Prunes are a great addition to many baked goods, like cakes, cookies and bars, and complement pork dishes as well. Compared to other dried fruits, prunes are lower in naturally occurring sugar and have a low glycemic index of 29. Prunes are an all-natural source of fiber, with 3 grams of fiber per serving. Their richness adds a lot of texture.

3Dates
One serving of dates is a good source of dietary fiber. Dates have a rich sweetness that makes them a valuable asset to desserts like bars and cookies. Dates also pair well with nuts, pork and squash, as in the recipe below.

For more ways to use dried fruit, visit sunsweet.com.

Try Acorn Squash Date Bowls

Up your dietary fiber in a flavorful way with these Acorn Squash Date Bowls!

Find recipe here