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October 10, 2011
Freeze-dried Fruit
There's a time and a place for freeze-dried fruit. Most important, I don't think there's any substitute for fresh fruit. Here are a few things to watch for, to ensure your freeze-dried experience is the healthiest possible.
When you look at the ingredients, the only thing you should see is 'fruit". There's no reason for sugars or anything else to be added.
Check the vitamin content. Some of the water-soluble vitamins may be lost during the freeze-drying process, so you want to see if it's been fortified to add them back in.
Be mindful of portions. Because the water has been stripped from the fruit, your child won't fill up as quickly as she would eating a whole apple or a handful of fresh strawberries, so she may be tempted to eat two or three recommended serving sizes.
If you place a high value on buying organic fresh produce, check the fruit's country of origin and whether it's organic. Some parents put a lot of effort and care into choosing organic fresh fruit and then forget to pay attention to that when it's dried or freeze-dried.
Think of freeze-dried fruit as a sweet, but healthier, substitute where you might be tempted to add sugar: Blended into a trail mix instead of M&Ms, tossed atop cookies instead of sprinkles, baked into muffins instead of chocolate chips, stirred into oatmeal instead of brown sugar.
Posted by Lisa at October 10, 2011 2:24 PM
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