You will always hear a nutrition expert repeat a few things quite often – don’t overdo anything, eat whole foods and avoid anything processed. Minimally processed, dried up grapes, also known as raising fit this perfectly. They’re a whole food that’s minimally processed with no added ingredients or preservatives,” says Jenny Friedman, a Philadelphia-based dietitian. But raisins are also a high source of sugar and empty calories. So, are they even healthy? Here’s what you must know about them.
“Traditional raisins are sun-dried and contain no additional preservatives or stabilizers,” says Friedman; the process of air-drying is responsible for their brown color. “Golden raisins, however, are dried in a dehydrator and contain sulfur dioxide as a preservative,” making them gold in color. Basically, they’re all good you get in a grape that concentrated into one tiny raisin. Additionally, raisins are a good source of phytonutrients — naturally occurring plant compounds — that contain antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. They also have some iron and small amounts of other vitamins and minerals, including about 300 mg of potassium for a standard quarter-cup serving.
Apart from that, raisins are a good source of magnesium which is beneficial for heart health as well as healthy nerve and muscle function. Shrunken grapes also contain about two grams of fiber per serving.
But what about its sugar content? Yes, raisins have high sugar content. One serving has the same amount of sugar as a Snickers bar. But the good news is, the sugar is raisins are naturally occurred, hence way healthier. It’s primarily in the form of fructose, a fruit sugar, making raisins an easily digestible source of quick energy. That endears them to endurance athletes, who eat raisins to fuel performance, says Friedman.
So, should you be consuming raisin? Yes, of course – in moderation and as long as you ensure your packaged raisins has only ingredient – raisins (no added sugar!)
