Fresh, Canned, Frozen Or Dried Fruits: Why To Include Them In Our Diet?

Significance of fresh, canned, frozen or dried fruits to be included in our diet.

Fruits are an essential component of a balanced diet and a good source of numerous essential nutrients, such as dietary fibre, vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and a variety of other beneficial substances, such as flavonoids and phytochemicals. In addition, Holistic Nutritionist Azhar Ali Sayed shares that some fresh fruits with high water content are a good source of hydration.

Powerful Antioxidant Nutrient

Amazingly, the beautiful, varying colours of fruits signify that they contain a powerful antioxidant nutrient. Furthermore, each colour is correlated with different benefits, e.g., the red-coloured fruits contain a pigment known as anthocyanin, which possesses antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. In addition, it’s known to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, another compound known as carotene, which is present in all yellow and orange fruits, is a potent antioxidant which helps in fighting free radicals caused due to oxidative damage.

However, the question is, do fruits still provide health benefits once they’re canned, dried or frozen?

1. To accurately determine the usefulness of fruits once processed, we need to look at each process individually.
2. When a fruit is to be frozen, it is selected at its ripest point (when it is most nutrient-dense) and frozen immediately, which preserves its nutrients.
3. As a result, if the fruit is unsweetened and free of additives, frozen fruit will typically have at least as much nutrition as fresh fruit.

On The Other Hand

1. Although most nutrients are preserved during the canning process, the canned fruit will lose some nutritional value. Getting canned fruit that isn’t preserved in sugar syrup can also be challenging.
2. Dried fruit is dehydrated fruit. Thus, the nutrients that dried fruit contains are condensed. Therefore, eating dried fruits while snacking on them is easy.
3. Fruits that are frozen, canned, or dried have the benefit of not spoiling quickly and being portable.
4. Therefore, each one can be a healthy choice depending on your needs despite having slightly varied nutritional profiles.

Conclusion

Both contain healthy nutrients and are convenient to carry, store and consume, and dried fruits are nothing other than fresh fruit with water content removed eg-figs, apricots. Raisins and dates, to name a few, Whereas a nut is defined as a ‘fruit’, but one which is composed of a complex, tough shell to protect the actual kernel, which is usually edible (the nuts that we consume). The most common nuts are walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and peanuts. Dried fruits are primarily rich in carbohydrates, while nuts contain fat and some amount of protein.