You likely know that fruit can be helpful for weight loss but what about dried fruit? And which dried fruits are the best for weight loss?
Dried fruits are simply regular fruits with much of their water content removed.
This does increase the amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber per 100 grams but also the number of calories. On top of that many brands add additional sugar and sweeteners. Water is also very helpful for losing weight. It helps you feel fuller and increases the number of calories you burn.
You can most likely get away with some dried fruits but in general, it’s better to stay away from dried fruit if you are trying to lose weight.
Vegetables, whole fruits, legumes, many protein sources, and many whole grains will generally be more helpful for weight loss than dried fruits.
If you do decide to eat some dried fruits you may as well pick the ones that are better for losing weight.
Botanically speaking nuts count as dried fruits but this list will not include them. If these interest you, you can check out the list of the best nuts for weight loss.
1. Dried peaches
Peaches are the fruit with the yellow or white flesh and the tiny hairs on the skin. Like most options on this list you also have the option to go for whole peaches instead of dried peaches.
100 grams of dried peaches contains (1):
- Calories: 239
- Protein: 3.6 grams
- Carbs: 61.3 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 8.2 grams
- Fat: 0.8 grams
- Vitamin A: 43% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Potassium: 28% of the DV
- Iron: 23% of the DV
- Niacin: 22% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 20% of the DV
- Copper: 18% of the DV
- Manganese: 15% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
This applies to most dried fruits but some foods you can combine with dried peaches are yogurt, oatmeal, and smoothies.
2. Dried figs
The next dried fruit, figs, are not as popular in their whole form because their whole form does not preserve that well.
100 grams of dried figs contains (2):
- Calories: 249
- Protein: 3.3 grams
- Carbs: 63.9 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 9.8 grams
- Fat: 0.9 grams
- Manganese: 26% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin K: 19% of the DV
- Potassium: 19% of the DV
- Magnesium: 17% of the DV
- Calcium: 16% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Other popular ways to eat dried figs include as the main ingredient of fig jam and as a fig roll, a biscuit with a filling made from figs. Unfortunately, both of these ways of eating figs are not great when trying to lose weight.
3. Dried apples
Apples are one of the most popular fruits around the world and you can also eat them in their dried form.
Dried apples are not as great when it comes to vitamin and mineral content compared to some of the other options on this list. Even with that in mind dried apples deserve to be higher on the list because of their relatively low calorie count and great fiber content.
100 grams of dried apples contains (3):
- Calories: 243
- Protein: 0.9 grams
- Carbs: 65.9 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 8.7 grams
- Fat: 0.3 grams
- Potassium: 13% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Copper: 10% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
4. Dried apricots
Whole apricots are again not the most popular fruit in their whole form. Dried apricots on the other hand are a popular type of dried fruit.
100 grams of dried apricots contains (4):
- Calories: 241
- Protein: 3.4 grams
- Carbs: 62.6 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 7.3 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Vitamin A: 72% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Potassium: 33% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 22% of the DV
- Copper: 17% of the DV
- Iron: 15% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
5. Prunes
Prunes is the name given to dried plums. One of the main reasons people think plums and other plum related products are good for weight loss is because they can act as a laxative (5, 6). This effect is mainly because of a substance called sorbitol which has laxative effects (7).
The problem with this theory is that laxatives do help constipation but don’t seem to influence fat loss (8). You might empty your intestines which makes the number on the scale go down.
But when you’re trying to lose weight that number is often not what you actually want to change. You most likely want the related health and/or visual effects of fat loss and the laxative effect of prunes likely won’t be able to help you with those effects.
100 grams of prunes contains (9):
- Calories: 240
- Protein: 2.2 grams
- Carbs: 63.9 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 7.1 grams
- Fat: 0.4 grams
- Vitamin K: 74% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Potassium: 21% of the DV
- Vitamin A: 16% of the DV
- Manganese: 15% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts. Another way to eat prunes is as prune juice, which is made by rehydrating prunes and then taking the juice from that mixture.
By doing this you basically get water with vitamins and a relatively high amount of sugar. This makes prune juice not something preferable for weight loss.
6. Dried pears
Pears are a popular fruit with a typical shape of a wide bottom and a narrow top. If you are smart about it some dried pears may deserve a spot in your weight loss diet.
100 grams of dried pears contains (10):
- Calories: 262
- Protein: 1.9 grams
- Carbs: 69.7 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 7.5 grams
- Fat: 0.6 grams
- Vitamin K: 25% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Copper: 19% of the DV
- Manganese: 16% of the DV
- Potassium: 15% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
7. Dried mulberries
The next dried fruit is the least know option on this list for many people. Mulberries are a type of berry that looks a bit like an elongated blackberry.
100 grams of dried mulberries contains (11):
- Calories: 300
- Protein: 10 grams
- Carbs: 65.7 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 12.5 grams
- Fat: 2.5 grams
- Iron: 71% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Calcium: 28% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Mulberry leaves can also be used to make tea. It’s not entirely clear if this tea has any weight loss effects besides the benefits you can get from increasing your water intake.
8. Dried dates
Dates are again a fruit that is most often found in its dried form. While available all around the world dried dates are more common in the Middle-East.
100 grams of dried dates contains (12):
- Calories: 277
- Protein: 1.8 grams
- Carbs: 75 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 6.7 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Potassium: 20% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Copper: 18% of the DV
- Manganese: 15% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Dried dates play a role in a wide variety of dessert recipes, syrup, and date juice but when trying to lose weight you want to limit these dishes.
9. Raisins
One of the most popular dried fruits on this list are raisins. Raisins are made by drying grapes.
100 grams of raisins contains (13):
- Calories: 296
- Protein: 2.5 grams
- Carbs: 78.5 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 6.8 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Potassium: 24% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Copper: 15% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
If you want to implement raisins into your weight loss diet try to stick to oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies instead of raisin cookies, bread, and muffins.
10. Dried cranberries
Dried cranberries generally have a more bitter taste. For that reason, you will almost only find dried cranberries with added sugar or sweeteners. These ingredients are not helpful for weight loss so that’s something to keep in mind when choosing a type of dried fruit for weight loss.
100 grams of sweetened dried cranberries contains (14):
- Calories: 308
- Protein: 0.1 grams
- Carbs: 82.4 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 5.7 grams
- Fat: 1.4 grams
- Manganese: 13% of the DV (Daily Value)
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
11. Dried goji berries
Goji berries are a type of red berry that’s rising in popularity due to certain health benefits associated with them. You will find this berry mainly in its dried form.
100 grams of dried goji berries contains (15):
- Calories: 349
- Protein: 14.3 grams
- Carbs: 77 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 13 grams
- Fat: 0.4 grams
- Vitamin A: 536% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Vitamin C: 81% of the DV
- Iron: 38% of the DV
- Calcium: 19% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
12. Dried mango
The last dried fruit that may help you lose weight is dried mango. Many people love mango for its sweet taste which is also present when eating it dried.
100 grams of dried mango contains (16):
- Calories: 350
- Protein: 2.5 grams
- Carbs: 85 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 5 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Potassium: 25% of the DV (Daily Value)
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
How much dry fruit should you eat a day to lose weight?
Nutrition is always a bit of a puzzle in terms of what the perfect diet looks like. It’s a pretty individual thing. How much dried fruit an individual of 150 pounds can eat a day to lose weight vs an individual of 300 pounds will be completely different.
Consuming enough vitamins and minerals is important for both your short and long-term health and weight loss. Dried fruit can provide you with some vitamins and minerals but you will definitely need other nutritious foods as well.
When you are close to your daily vitamin and mineral goals you can see how much dried fruit still fits within your daily calories. The amount will be different from individual to individual from day to day. However, due to the high amount of calories in dried fruit, this amount will often be 0.
Best time to eat dry fruits for weight loss
If you do have some room for dried fruit in your diet you also want to keep in mind what the best time to eat those dried fruits is for weight loss.
The calories in dried fruits are mainly from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates raise insulin. Insulin in turn can mess with the production of sleep hormones. Sleep is important for your weight loss and health.
That’s one of the reasons why you preferably want to eat dried fruit earlier in the day or at least not right before bed or at night.
Dried fruit won’t be that fattening at night that it means the end of your weight loss journey but you preferably want to stop eating it a while before bedtime.
