In a world where sustainability and health are at the forefront of our minds, dehydrated fruit and vegetable powders are emerging as a game changer. These powders, made mostly from produce that would otherwise be discarded, offer all the taste and nutrients of fresh fruit and veggies, while reducing waste and carbon emissions.
Here's why you'll be hearing a lot more about dehydrated fruit and vegetable powders as the world struggles to feed a growing population.
Nutritional Powerhouses
Many people wonder, is dehydrated fruit healthy? Does it retain the vitamins and minerals of the fresh fruit?
Dehydrated fruit and vegetable nutrient powders made with quality production are nutritional powerhouses. They retain most of the healthy nutritional value of the fresh produce they’re made from, offering a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
This is particularly so when the fruit and vegetables are taken fresh from the grower while in season. Compare this with produce that is stored for months and transported across the world, depleting the nutrients.
Increased nutrient density: The dehydration process retains a food’s original nutritional value. For example, apple chips will have the same calorie, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre, and sugar content as the fresh fruit. However, because dried food loses its water content, it’s usually smaller in size.
By weight, dried fruit contains up to 3.5 times the fibre, vitamins, and minerals of fresh fruit. Therefore, one serving can provide a large percentage of the daily recommended intake of many vitamins and minerals.
Retention of essential nutrients: Dehydrated foods keep their nutritional value. They retain essential fatty acids, minerals, enzymes, most vitamins, and antioxidants. Dehydrated foods also maintain their nutrients for much longer than their fresh counterparts.
However, it’s important to note:
- some nutrients, such as vitamin C, can be reduced when the fruit is dried.
- temperatures must be kept low around 55°C to ensure maximum nutrients are kept in the fruits and vegetables and not cooked out.
Dehydrated fruits are as healthy as fresh fruit when dehydrated correctly.
These lemon and lime zest grinders from Liberty Loves contain 75 grams of dehydrated zest, which is equivalent to about 700 grams of fresh fruit zest!
Reduce Waste and Promote Circularity
One of the most significant benefits of a dehydrated fruit powder or vegetable powder is the contribution to reducing waste. This happens in three ways:
1. By using B grade fruit that supermarkets reject, waste can be minimised at the farm. Additionally, waste from other food manufacturers, such as juicing companies, can be recovered. For example, the citrus rinds left over from juice production can be utilised.
2. Fruits and veggies can be picked in season, eliminating the need for long-distance transportation and refrigeration storage. This not only reduces carbon emissions, but also supports local farmers.
3. In your kitchen. How often have you used half a lemon for the juice and then not got around to using the rest before it deteriorates? For the household, dehydrated fruits prevent waste from using part of the fruit and wasting the rest, or from fruit over ripening before it can be used. Simply use as little or as much as you need of the powders, and the remainder will keep for up to 18 months stored in a dry, dark and cool spot. This not only promotes sustainability and lowers food waste, but also helps reduce grocery bills.
Reduced Transportation and Storage Emissions
These days, the average basket of food has travelled thousands of kilometres from where it is grown to your table. Food miles contribute to global warming by generating carbon emissions from the transportation. While for most, it is simply not possible to buy all our food within a small radius of where we live, we can take some small steps.
A great outcome for the environment is when the fruit powder is made close to the farm where the crop is grown. That means limited emissions transporting heavy fruit and vegetables around the country. Once the water extracted, fruit powders are much lighter to transport! And they do not require diesel and electricity-powered refrigerated trucks and storage facilities that further pollute the environment.
This is the case with Liberty Love dehydrated powders and peel, as they are made on the Sunshine Coast from Queensland grown produce.
Extends Shelf Life
Dehydration is a preservation method that removes moisture from food, which inhibits the growth of bacteria, thereby extending the food’s shelf life. Powders should have roughly an 18 month self life.
Easy to Use
Powders are easy and convenient to use to add a nutritional and flavour boost to your meals.
Instead of grating or squeezing simply a few twists of the grinder, or spoon some fruit powder into your smoothie, yoghurt, snacks, desert and baking.
Biome also offers The Mindful Foods Stardust range of nutrient powders.
As you can see, dehydrated fruit and vegetable powders are a win-win solution for our health and the environment. They offer a convenient and nutritious way to boost our diet while also playing a significant role in reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
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