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From: Natural Health
With a winning formula of taste, convenience, zero waste and nutrition, raisins may just be the perfect guilt-free snack. Here to teach us about the power of this plant-based snack, the team at California Raisins share five reasons why you should add the humble raisin to your diet.
1. Naturally occurring sugars
Raisins are just full of added sugar, right? Wrong – it’s not added! Whilst California Raisins do contain naturally occurring sugars, known as intrinsic sugars, it’s important to remember (as is the case with all traditional dried fruit, and whole fruit, too), no ‘free sugars’ have been added – the type that we should be cutting down for the sake of our waistlines and our teeth.The sugars in California Raisins are naturally occurring from the fresh grapes from which they are made. In fact, they contain just two simple ingredients – whole grapes and California sunshine. What’s not to love?
2. They’re perfect to fight off sweet cravings
If you’re saying goodbye to sugary, fatty and salty food in 2022, but are struggling to find a healthy alternative that you’ll feel good giving to your family and they’ll actually want to eat, then California Raisins could help you hit that ‘sweet spot’.Not only do they only provide natural sweetness from the naturally-occurring sugars in the grapes from which they’re made, but they also provide a slow-release energy and contain many essential vitamins like potassium, copper, iron, selenium, manganese and vitamin B6.
It’s time to ignore the nutrition nonsense out there and embrace the natural sweetness that’s found in California Raisins and other whole plant foods – experiment and rediscover a love for them in your cooking and baking. Why not sprinkle them over your porridge, add them to your smoothies, or try a baked apple with California Raisins? Or why not add California Raisins the next time you make a rice pudding or apple crumble?
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3. They contribute to a balanced diet
Whole foods high in intrinsic sugars, like California Raisins, can form an important part of a healthy and balanced diet, providing fibre to help fill us up and many other valuable vitamins and minerals that many people don’t get enough of, including potassium and selenium. They also have a medium glycaemic index (GI) meaning that they do not cause rapid rises in blood sugar levels.When it comes to children’s nutrition, it can be easy to give in to pester power and unhealthy sugary puddings chockfull of added sugars, but healthy puds don’t have to be boring or tasteless. A handful of naturally sweet California Raisins (30g) can help bridge the gap between taste, nutrition and health and provide a sweet-treat that children will happily want to eat at mealtimes and parents will be happy to give.
4. They’re good for gut health
Along with wholegrains, nuts and seeds, legumes, herbs and spices, and of course, fresh vegetables and fruits, traditional dried fruit like California Raisins also count towards the 30 different types of plant foods that are recommended we should be eating every week to look after our gut health.So, what’s all the fuss about? The gut contains trillions of different microbes that do lots of great things for us – from supporting our immune system, to helping keep our mood buoyant and our skin healthy, so it makes sense to look after them by feeding them with lots of their favourite plant-foods, because in return, they’ll help take care of you!
Reaching dietary fiber targets of 30g a day for adults, 25g for 11-16-year-olds and 20g for 5-11-year-olds is no mean feat, and sadly most of us are falling short of this gut-health nutrient.
California Raisins contain natural whole food benefits for a healthier gut – they are a natural source of fibre and can help you on your way to meeting yours and your family’s daily targets in a delicious, healthy, nutritious and convenient way.
5. They contribute to 1 of your 5 a day
Figures from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey reveal that, on average, most of us struggle to achieve our five-a-day, with adults only managing four portions and teenagers, not even three. In fact, around seven out of 10 adults and a massive 88 percent of teenagers fail to hit five-a-day.But, just 30g (or around one tablespoon) of dried fruit such as California Raisins counts as one portion and can help us reach our daily target of five in an easy and delicious way.
What’s more, California Raisins are packed with natural whole food benefits. They’re a great source of natural energy and supply important nutrients like immune-supporting copper, tiredness-zapping iron, bone-friendly manganese and vitamin B6, which helps release energy from our food and helps support our immune system. That’s pretty impressive considering they only provide 82 kcals per 30g serving!
See more at Natural Health
