Refined sugar in dried fruit

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mckenzie3000, Nov 10, 8:24am
I am trying to cut out all refined sugars from my diet, I was wondering if those dried fruit mixes you get in the pick n mix section at the supermarket, with the cranberries and raisins, would have added sugar! And also dried apricots. I presume they do based on how sweet they are and how tasty I find them :-)

elektrotrashx, Nov 10, 8:31am
Read the back of packaging, I do it every time i shop to try limit some things . At first your feel like an idiot but after a while it just becomes second nature

uli, Nov 10, 1:53pm
Dried fruit have no refined sugar added except the crystallized things like ginger etc.

Remember that the sugar in the dried fruit will perform exactly like the refined sugar in your body though once you have eaten them.

For the body it makes no difference if you eat an orange, raisins, a piece of bread, some rice, a potato or a spoonful of refined sugar, honey, Agave syrup etc. - it all turns into glucose within minutes of ingesting it.

elliehen, Nov 10, 3:40pm
My Ocean Spray dried cranberries packet has as its list of ingredients:
Cranberries 61%
Sugar
Pomegranate Juice Concentrate
Acid (Malic Acid)
Natural Flavour
Elderberry Juice Concentrate

BTW dried cranberries are delicious with rolled oats porridge.

bedazzledjewels, Nov 10, 3:44pm
They are delicious. I put them in my Christmas put! Does it give the sugar content Ellie!

elliehen, Nov 10, 3:49pm
Unfortunately, no, but simple arithmetic says it's got to be less than 61%!The pomegranate and elderberry juice will add fructose too.

uli, Nov 10, 3:57pm
Here you go:
Total Carbohydrate 33g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 26g

Total Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 1/3 Cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 130
Total Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Potassium 0mg
Sodium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 33g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 26g
Protein 0g
VitaminA 0%
VitaminC 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%

uli, Nov 10, 3:57pm
These are not dried cranberries ellie, they are a sugary snack with quite a bit of sugar added, see my post below how real dried cranberries compare.

Here you go:
Total Carbohydrate 33g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 26g

Total Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 1/3 Cup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 130
Total Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Potassium 0mg
Sodium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 33g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 26g
Protein 0g
VitaminA 0%
VitaminC 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%

uli, Nov 10, 3:58pm
Here is a review of those "healthy treats" .
http://www.iateapie.net/reviews/archives/2007/11/ocean_spray_cra.php

One serving of Craisins, 1/3rd cup (40 grams), has 130 calories and 33 grams of total carbohydrates, which includes 26 grams of sugars and 12% of the RDA for fiber.
There is no fat, sodium or protein.

Natural cranberries only have 51 calories, 4.4 grams of sugar and 5 grams of fiber in a 100 gram serving.

bedazzledjewels, Nov 10, 4:04pm
To get back to OP - if you're trying to take sugar out, you should eat fresh berries (or frozen, unsweetened berries) instead of dried fruit.

medicina, Nov 10, 4:26pm
I second that. Fresh fruit is sooo much better for you in so many ways.

daleaway, Nov 10, 5:52pm
I would really like to know the sugar content of the dried cranberries from bulk buy bins. Are they all sugared up like the Ocean Spray stuff! Anyone here know!
Like elliehen I have them in my porridge each morning (but no sugar with the porridge).

uli, Nov 10, 6:39pm
Maybe buy some just dried organic ones from a health food shop and then compare them.

My guess would be that anything out of bulk bins would be from big companies with a huge turnover - that would point to Ocean Spray.

However I am sure you could always ask at the supermarket or Binn Inn.

bedazzledjewels, Nov 10, 6:43pm
You can buy frozen cranberries that are completed unsweetened and they are really sour!

elliehen, Nov 10, 7:41pm
If I wanted an unsweetened cranberry I would know where to go to find one, thank you uli.I like to sweeten my porridge with Ocean Spray dried cranberries.

elliehen, Nov 10, 7:49pm
I cook rolled oats porridge every day of the year and throughout the seasons, add to it different UNsweetened seasonal fresh or stewed fruits.

However, during the winter I have tamarillos, dates & lemon paste and an occasional real treat which is sweetened dried cranberries! Consequently I am so sweet-natured that I don't ever tell other people not to eat their goat curry or whatever else takes their fancy ;)

uli, Nov 10, 8:33pm
Who on earth tells people not to eat their goat curry!
And what has that to do with sugar that has been added to cranberries!
I note that OP hasn't been back.

davidt4, Nov 10, 9:47pm
Not me!

bedazzledjewels, Nov 10, 9:47pm
I'd love some goat curry. Just the cold night for it!

mckenzie3000, Nov 10, 9:59pm
Thanks for all your replies. I think I will stay away from dried fruit, love my frozen berries so will stick with them.

elliehen, Nov 10, 10:33pm
Thanks for popping back.May all continue to eat what they enjoy, be it goat or goji :)

carlosjackal, Nov 11, 2:55am
Not All Dried Fruit Is Equal

While fruit itself is high in naturally occurring sugar, many dried fruits have additional sugar added for extra flavour. Some of the main dried fruits to avoid are:

Pineapple: Usually coated in refined sugar
Banana Chips: Generally deep-fried and sweetened. Look for dried banana chips with no extra sugar.
Cranberries: Almost always require extra sweeteners due to their tartness
Watermelon: The low level of nutrients and high level of sugar are a poor combination

It pays to check the ingredient list for extra sugar or additives in dried fruit.

hestia, Nov 11, 7:20pm
But there is a difference. Fruit contains fructose, and sugar (sucrose) is hydrolysed to produce fructose and glucose. Starches are hydrolysed to give glucose.

uli, Nov 11, 7:29pm
hestia - in the end it is all either glucose or fructose - the latter is even more difficult for the body to process. Be it oranges, raisins, a piece of bread, some rice, a potato or a spoonful of refined sugar, honey, Agave syrup etc. it is all going to turn into either glucose (the vast majority of it) or a bit of fructose which only the liver can deal with.

hestia, Nov 11, 8:45pm
No it isn't.