Mmm…don’t you just love fruit? I have to admit that I have a little bit of a sweet tooth. Recently, we have been hearing a lot about the damaging effects of a high sugar diet. As well as causing health conditions like diabetes and heart disease, sugar is also incredibly addictive. Studies have shown that sugar lights up our brains in the same way as cocaine – who would have thought it? As you will find high sugar items in a wide range of supermarket snacks, this scientific research scares me a little. It shows that we need to be mindful of the amount of sugar we eat daily – although, that doesn’t mean we have to cut it out completely.

We can still satisfy our sweet tooth by eating dehydrated fruit as snacks or in meals. Dehydrated fruit is packed full of flavor and sweetness, making them perfect for snacks, breakfasts, and desserts! What’s best is that you won’t have to worry about any added sugar content like most shop-bought items. Simply dehydrate and you are ready to go!

1. Apricots

Dehydrating apricots helps to concentrate their flavor and sweetness, making them even more delicious. I think this is why I love the taste of them so much! Dehydrated apricots also make the perfect on-the-go snack!

2. Strawberries

Strawberries are sweet and they are unbelievably tasty when dehydrated. They have a sweet and tangy flavor with a chewy texture. They are a great addition to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, or trail mix, but can also be enjoyed all on their own as a snack!

3. Tomatoes

Tomatoes taste amazing, and you can do so much with them. Dried tomatoes have an intense, sweet and savory flavor, and are slightly chewy, which pairs nicely in salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes. You can also grind down your dehydrated tomatoes into powder and go crazy making homemade ketchup and tomato puree this summer!

4. Peaches

Dried peaches have a sweet, juicy, concentrated flavor that is much more intense than fresh peaches. They are slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and make a great addition to granola or trail mix.

5. Apples

Dehydrating sweet and juicy apples means that you will access to delicious apples at any time of the year. For a simple snack, try dipping your dehydrated apple slices into peanut butter. Or, place finely sliced apples into your dehydrator and make this beautiful Raw Vegan Apple Pie.

6. Bananas

Spruce up your energy levels by snacking on a crunchy dehydrated banana! Slice a banana thinly and place in the dehydrator – once dried, you will have banana chips to snack on throughout the day!

7. Raspberries

Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits, so choosing between raspberries and strawberries is incredibly difficult. Try making this Three Kings Cake recipe since it uses dehydrated raspberries – take a look, I think I could easily eat more than two slices!

8. Blueberries

Bursting with antioxidants, blueberries are perfect to throw into the dehydrator. Dehydrated blueberries are also crunchy and super sweet! Store away and sprinkle on to your breakfast cereal, coconut yogurt, or super power bars!

9. Cherries

If you are organizing a cookout, add a few dehydrated cherries to the drinks that you serve. You could also drop dehydrated cherries into scones. As well as looking impressive in a summer drink, cherries taste gorgeous too!

10.  Dates

You will find dates in a majority of vegan desserts. You could easily snack on dried dates or rehydrate to make beautiful tasting recipes. Why don’t you make raw apple sandwiches with date caramel + almond butter, quinoa date nut truffles or a chocolate tart? Those sound so tempting, don’t they?

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes. It is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Weekly Vegan Meal Plans
• Plant-Based Health Resources
• Plant-Based Food & Recipes
• Plant-Based Nutrition Resources
• The Ultimate Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
• Budget-Friendly Plant-Based Recipes
• High Protein Plant-Based Recipes
• Plant-Based Meal Prep

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Image source: 11 Cooking Tips for Dehydrated Vegetables