Cherries: the latest “super” food

Written by Lisa Mansdorf   


When I was in high school, a friend bought me a food dehydrator for my birthday. Not the most conventional gift for a teenage girl, but I had seriously been coveting one. I was on a dried fruit kick at the time, and my favorite store brands were all coated with sugar, which defeated the real purpose of eating fruit (yes, my calling as a nutritionist was quite clear at a very early age). By making my own, I could keep it simple and healthy. (Side note: Picking the right dried fruit is also key to keeping it healthy. Check out this list to keep the calories in your fruit snack under control.)

Luckily, it’s now a lot easier to find dried fruits in stores without the added sugars -- like Peeled Snacks, which offer all natural dried fruit with nothing else added. My favorite is the Cherry-go- round—just pure, simple dried cherries. The entire bag of the tart, sweet, and chewy fruit contains 130 calories, 30 g of carbohydrates, and 4 g of fiber. Just try not to eat them all in one sitting -- each bag equals two servings of fruit. Instead, divvy them up and pair with some protein for a filling breakfast or snack. I chopped some up and put a handful into my Greek yogurt in the morning, adding a delicious tart and chewy texture. They’re also great as a snack paired with your favorite nuts or for a little more fun, spread a tablespoon of almond butter on celery sticks and top with a few dried cherries.

Why my sudden obsession with cherries? Besides the fact that I love the taste, they also have huge health benefits. Cherries contain a flavonoid called quercetin that has anti-carcinogenic properties and may help prevent heart disease. Cherries may also help with pain relief thanks to anthocyanins found in the fruit. According to the California Cherry Advisory Board, eating just 20 cherries can give you pain relief that’s 10 times stronger than aspirin. And more good news—for those of us concerned about osteoporosis (listen up ladies), cherries are a good source of boron which has been found to benefit our bones.

If cherries aren’t your thing, Peeled Snacks come in a variety of other fun flavors as well. Find them at your local health store, Whole Foods Market, Starbucks nationwide or check out their Web site at www.peeledsnacks.com.

Skinny Contest: Win a variety pack for free by e-mailing contests@skinnyandthecity.com by March 9th, 2010 and let us know how you’d sneak extra fruit intro your diet with Peeled Snacks.