Imagine having a piece of home equipment right there in the kitchen that allows you to have full creativity with your food. Dehydrators are a fun and great way to modify your food and make them healthier. Dehydrated food is becoming a fad these days, along with people’s long-term fascination with raw food diets. In raw food diet terms, dehydrated food is still considered raw if they are dried between 105 F/41 C and 115 F/46 C.
Food dehydrators lets you enjoy food by preserving its vitamins and minerals, while giving you the chance to delve into the wonderful world of raw food dieting. Unlike traditional cooking, a dehydrator does not destroy the vitamins and minerals inherent in vegetables and fruits. Dehydrators also give you the chance to enjoy fruits and vegetables that are out of season because they can be stored for a longer time period.
The following are just some of the health benefits of using dehydrators for food preparation:
1. Dehydrated Food Do Not Spoil Easily
You might always be feeling the urge to buy in bulk whenever you are at a farmer’s market. The fruits and vegetables available are extensive in this type of market, and these goods are usually available at a bargain. What’s more, farmer’s markets also give you the best fruits and vegetables in season. If you find yourself buying too many, you will be worrying about the spoilage of the foodstuff you have purchased.
Dehydrating fruits and vegetables can help mitigate spoilage since it sucks out the moisture and water that contributes to early spoilage. Molds, yeast, and bacteria thrive on water, and removing the water from vegetables and fruits means these organisms won’t grow in them, contributing to fewer chances of spoilage.
2. Dehydrated Food Are Delicious
When food is dehydrated, it concentrates the taste and flavors more intensely. The water, which contributes to a bland taste, is removed, and the natural flavors of the fruits are magnified. If the fruit or vegetable is sweet, sour, or bitter, you will be able to experience them more intensely if you dehydrate them.
Fruits and vegetables with better flavors stimulate the appetite and encourage you to consume more of them, thus you will be getting more vitamins and minerals in your body.
There is also an added plus to dehydrating food yourself. You will know that the food you are using came from fresh and natural ingredients. Dehydrated food purchased at the grocery may have added additives that may not be good for your health. Furthermore, dehydrating food yourself gives you more control over the flavors and tastes of the food you want to preserve.
3. You Can Be More Creative With Dehydrated Food
There are many issues with fruits and vegetables being purchased in groceries. Some are said to be genetically modified or sprayed with pesticides and chemicals.
Having said that, it’s always best to grow your own produce or have your own garden of fruits and vegetables, and dehydrating them is a great way of preserving them and locking in their nutrients. Remember to dehydrate them immediately once harvested to keep the vitamins and minerals intact.
Moreover, once you have dehydrated your fruits and vegetables, you can be creative with them. You can use the dehydrated fruits as a substitute for chips and snacks. You can bake them into granola bars. If you have onion and garlic that have been dehydrated as well, you can grind them to be used as spices for your stews and soups. Vegetables that have been dehydrated can be used as vegetable stock later on, and can be turned into delicious meals with high nutritive value.
4. Dehydrated Food Can Be Easily Stored And Are Travel-friendly
Foodstuff that have been dehydrated shrink after the process. Unlike other methods of preservation, dehydrated food does not consume a lot of space. You can dehydrate vegetables in bulk and store them in the pantry or in any cool, dry place.
Storing dehydrated food is low-maintenance, and you can simply pack them in vacuum-sealed bags in batches. For that reason, you will be able to make a lot of dehydrated fruits and vegetables that can be consumed on a daily basis and all year round, positively impacting your health in the long term.
As mentioned above, these dehydrated fruits and vegetables give you the creative control to make your own snacks and dishes, which could be baked or cooked. These foodstuff can then. easily be carried in lunch boxes when going to school or work.
5. Get More Fiber And Nutrients With Dehydrated Fruits
Fruits that have been dried are specially packed with extra nutrients compared to fruits in their natural state. Dehydrated fruits have more fiber and antioxidants. The process of drying increases the benefits of food, especially in fruits. There is also a higher concentration of vitamins in dehydrated fruits. Other nutrients, such as vitamin C, beta carotene, and iron are also preserved.
6. Dehydrated Fruits Give You Energy
Dehydrated fruits give you more energy. The reason for this is that fruit sugars become concentrated in the dehydration process. Even if you just eat a few dried fruits, you will get the same amount of energy as when eating fresh fruits because the nutritive and calorific benefits of dehydrated fruits do not become degraded in the process of drying.
Unlike fresh fruits, you can take them along in your long travels, such as when camping or hiking. Many hikers enjoy the benefits of dehydrated fruits because it gives them the necessary energy while being lightweight and easy to store. However, if you eat a lot of dried fruits, there is a danger that you will gain weight. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, it is easy to eat away and consume more than your body requires.
Final Thoughts
Health is the primary concern of many these days. Good health is achievable with the right kind of diet, which involves the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Being creative in the preparation of fruits and vegetables can help make them more palatable, and one of the easiest, healthiest ways of doing that is through dehydrating them.Dehydration enhances the flavors of fruits and vegetables and makes them more appealing. There is also the added benefit of adding them in baked goodies or grinding them into a powder to be used as spices and flavoring for dishes.
