Whatever their virtues, organic dried fruits are tasty treats capable of giving colour to snacks, whether whole or cooked. From budding gourmets to more mature food lovers, discover how to transform your afternoon snack into a balanced treat !
The advantages of dried fruit
In the dried fruit family, a distinction is generally made between nuts and dried fruits. The former refer to oilseeds, including walnuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, etc. As for dried fruits, they are dehydrated fruits such as dried apricots, raisins, dried dates and figs, etc. Almost all fruit can be dehydrated!
What do they have in common? High energy and nutritional richness. What mainly sets them apart? Nuts are richer in fats that are beneficial to the body, including the famous omega-3 fatty acids. Dried fruits are richer in natural sugars, which are concentrated during dehydration. Complementary and tasty, they are all perfect as simple and delicious snacks, especially for people who are exercising, provided that they are consumed without excess as part of a healthy diet! Plan on a handful of organic dried fruit per day, on average, or even more for high-level sportsmen and women.
Dried fruit as snacks for children
Not all children like dried fruit, but many love it, tending to prefer the sweet version of organic dried fruits. A small handful of raisins accompanied by a dairy product and a serving of cereal can be a balanced snack on the way home from school, or a handy option for snacking on the run. Do you have time to cook? Prepare healthy snacks with dried fruit in advance. They’ll love it, and you might even end up snacking with them.
For those who like traditional snacks, make almond and chocolate muffins, cranberry and pecan cookies or an apple, walnut and hazelnut turnover. If you are short on time, it just takes a few minutes to prepare cocoa toast with banana purée and cashew nuts, which requires no cooking. Has the day been difficult for the kids? Take out a magic recipe and comfort them with a simple chewy pecan nut brownie.
Dried fruit as snacks for adults
For adults as well, a handful of dried fruit remains a must for snack-time. A good idea? Keep a bag of mixed organic dried fruit in your handbag, backpack or desk drawer. Important: the goal is not to be eating all day; rather, it is to be able to respond to an unexpected craving or a bout of fatigue with a balanced snack!
Another option for cooks of all levels: prepare homemade granola in advance, possibly with some added chocolate and pumpkin seeds. To recover after sport, the Medjool date energy balls offer an instant energy boost. Do you dream of healthy, gourmet, organic biscuits? Try vegan buckwheat, walnut and chocolate cookies. For a joyful burst of vitamins, take time to prepare a dried fruit smoothie bowl. And for a rainy day, treat yourself to a soft slice of date and walnut cake!