6 Tasty Ways to Enjoy Dried Fruits

When it comes to food, convenience is taking over nutrition nowadays.

Many prefer to buy processed meat, microwavable dinners, and chips because they're fast and easy to consume. 

Dried Fruits

It seems that anything saving time and money is the best option for people who juggle work, family, and many other things.

However, choosing the most convenient isn't always the best choice for your health. Most processed foods contain high amounts of sugar, sodium, and preservatives.

Uses for Dried Fruits

Thankfully, there's a type of food that can be considered both convenient and nutritious, and it's none other than dried fruit. You can eat it straight from the package as a snack or enjoy it in various ways along with other ingredients to create a complete meal. Here are six tasty ways to enjoy dried fruit:

 1. As Added Flavour in Main Dishes

It's common knowledge that adding spices and herbs to simple dishes is key to enhancing flavour.

 Although broiled chicken is palatable, adding some turmeric and curry spices will give your food a twist. But if you're a bit experimental and you want to make your unique recipe pop and shine, you may want to try some dried raisins or prunes for added oomph.

For example, transform a simple beef stew into something delightful by adding almonds, prunes, and figs. Some cuisines, particularly Middle Eastern ones, also use dried fruits abundantly.

So next time, maybe you can try spiced chicken tagine with dried soft apricots, flaked almonds, and sultanas.

2. As a Healthy Snack

Chips, fries, and chocolate bars are favourite snacks for children and adults alike because they're readily available and convenient to carry inside the pocket. 

These snack items are delicious but may not be suitable for health reasons because they contain high salt, saturated fat, and sugar levels.

If you want a healthy snack that's affordable, accessible, and easy to store and transport, you may want to try raisins and other dried fruits, particularly those with no added sugar.

A recent study links regular consumption of dried fruit and overall better health and diet. So go ahead and add dried cranberries, raisins, and other fruits to your trail mix or protein bars.

3. As a Key Element in Baked Goods

Dried cranberries, currants, dates, and raisins are widely used in baked goods such as bread, cakes, and muffins. 

A classic Christmas favourite, the fruit cake is full of different types of dried fruits.

Suppose you're keen on boosting vitamins and minerals in your family’s diet but don't want to take vitamin supplements, you could try putting chopped dried pears, peaches, berries, and apricots into your homemade oatmeal cookies or brownies. 

4. As Colourful Garnishing On Salads

Fresh fruits are often used in salads to add colour, flavour, and nutrients. If you don't have time to pick fresh produce, you can use dried, colourful fruits as substitutes. 

But even if your recipe doesn't require fruits, if you have some raisins or dried apricots in your pantry, you can also toss them onto your salad. They're a delightful garnish that'll add flavour to your vegetable treat.

A salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar, topped with nuts, crushed brie cheese and some sultanas will be a great side dish to your steak or grilled pork chops. 

5. As Secret Ingredient In Pasta

Pasta is a favourite family treat that's easy to make. If you have pasta noodles at home, you can quickly whip up a dish with whatever you have inside your pantry or refrigerator. 

If your children don't love fruits, you can chop dried pear, raisins, or cranberries and add them to your pasta to add a little sweet flavour to your orzo, spaghetti, or fettuccine. 

Diced prunes will taste great with carbonara, dried pear matches well with gorgonzola, and dried cranberry is an excellent addition to orzo pasta salad.

6. As Surprise Twist In Rice And Porridge

Rice is a versatile dish that can be a great accompaniment to vegetable, fish, and meat dishes. In many Asian countries, it's a staple food and it can be eaten with no spices or flavours whatsoever.

But if you want some excitement with your rice, you could try various ingredients with it, including dried fruits and nuts.

Dried bananas and other fruits

For example, try buttered basmati rice with turmeric and raisins, breakfast risotto with dried cherry, or porridge with almonds and raisins. If your family loves rice, you can even make dessert paella using milk, honey, and a variety of dried and fresh fruits.

Bottom Line

Adding fruits to one’s diet may not be easy for everyone, especially those who work long hours and don’t have time to visit the farmer’s market to get fruits in season. 

But you can still reap the benefits of fruits such as fibre and potassium by consuming dried fruit. Moreover, you can add these healthy snacks as primary ingredients to your favourite dishes.