By developing a solution that transforms discarded fruit into a nutritious snack to minimise food waste, experts have come up with fruit jerky. Food is often wasted due to a lower-level issue rather than being spoiled or harmful to humans. Moreover, products are usually discarded due to appearance problems, such as a bent carrot, bruised peach, or spotted banana.
The truth is that everything is entirely edible; you only need to arrive in time to prepare it or preserve it. Similar to a Fruit Roll-Up, the fruit jerky added hefty components. It is a combined fruit juice spread out onto sheets for dehydrator drying. Without preservatives, the method results in a product that may last approximately six months and takes around eight hours to complete.
About Fruit Jerky
Products from Jerky Co adhere to the “Clean Label” principle that you receive exactly what is described on the label. Their fruit jerky only has ingredients and is free of flavouring, colouring, and chemicals. They also choose the farm’s ripest fruit, which tastes that way. Fruit jerky is now made in various flavours by Jerky Co., all of which are available.
What Purposes Can Fruit Jerky Serve?
They are ideal for travelling since they are essentially dried fruits. You could also you place them in your kids’ lunchboxes, and take a road trip with them. When going on hiking or camping, bring these jerky. They work well as a light, nutritious snack. You could use these for dessert as well since they are so delicious.
What Qualities Should You Seek For In A Healthy Fruit Jerky?
If you want to buy fruit jerky, make sure to consider the following tips below:
- They Are Made From Real Fruit
Choose real fruit-based jerky rolls that are healthy. Only dehydrated fruit can be used in fruit jerky or roll-ups. Whole fruit is a typically delicious and nutrient-rich snack. How can you tell whether a fruit jerky includes fruit? Read the list of ingredients. The first component must be fruit, usually in the form of a purée. Additionally, check the Nutrition Facts label for fibre. Fruit that is real and full has fibre. A fruit jerky or fruit strip will also have whole fruit per serving the more thread it includes.
- Little To No Sugar Added
Healthy fruit jerky must have minimal to no added sugar. The last thing that should be consumed is added sugar. Yes, a small amount of added sugar is OK; however, the average person consumes roughly half a cup of extra sugar daily, which contributes to weight gain and chronic illnesses.Moreover, organic and conventional kinds of added sugar bring on the same health issues. Organic sweets, not healthy snacks, are fruit jerky or roll-ups manufactured mainly from organic sugar or fruit juice concentrates. It is considered where added sugar appeared on the ingredient list when assessing the quantity of added sugar in a fruit bar.A healthy diet may include the sugar from a whole fruit piece. However, calculating the quantity of added sugar in each snack may be challenging since fruit sugar is variable. As a result, the amount of added sugar was calculated depending on where it appeared on the ingredient list. And sure, the so-called “fruit jerky or roll-up” is candy if added sugar is the first component.
- Do Not Use Fillers Like Starch or Complex Carbs
Starch is not used to make healthy fruit jerky even though starch and complex carbs are polysaccharides, which the bodies break down quickly into sugar. The Glycemic Index (GI) of polysaccharides and refined grains like all-purpose flour is high. Eating high GI foods is closely linked to heart disease and chronic illness.Thus, fruit strips and fruit jerky include polysaccharides such as Xanthan gum, Pectin, bean gum, maltodextrin, modified maize starch, and locust. Stay away from these highly processed foods. They lack nutritional density.
- Avoid Using Synthetic Ingredients
Avoid buying fruit jerky with artificial additives. Artificial colours, preservatives, and tastes are routinely utilized in processed treats. These synthetic chemicals are a cheap approach to giving processed foods a fruity taste and colour. Despite removing artificial colours and preservatives from some kid-favourite foods over the last year, it is still crucial to read the ingredients list of a product.
In Summary
Fruit jerky snacks aren’t the only ones defying the food waste trend; every day, new organisations emerge, and awareness is grown about using leftover, edible food in mouthwatering dishes. Consider what you are purchasing, how much you need, and what you are going to consume to do your bit in decreasing food waste. Feel free to ask for lesser amounts while dining out. And if there are any leftovers, make sure to ask for takeout.
Moreover, dry snacks like fruit jerky are also excellent and simple to keep. It’s one of the oldest methods of food preservation to dry or dehydrate food. It extends their shelf life and maintains them safe for consumption. Food’s nutritional content remains unchanged; however, drying may degrade vitamins A and C.
