Dried And Dehydrated Food: 3 Ways To Add Them To Your Diet Properly

Food items can be dried by the sun, freeze-dried or dehydrated, and then used later to add to some delicious dishes.  If the dried or dehydrated foods are stored correctly, they may even last for months and still be edible. The drying and packaging process could help preserve food items for various reasons, and these products are easy to add to your daily meals with no effort.  

Dried And Dehydrated Food: 3 Ways To Add Them To Your Diet Properly

Some dried and dehydrated foods retain their nutritional value even after the drying process, so they remain a healthy addition to your diet. But how do you add them? Keep reading for ways to add these foods to your diet properly:  

Enjoy As Is  

Some of the dried and dehydrated products can be enjoyed as a snack on their own. Dried fruit and vegetables have been used in many forms as snacks by adding them to snack mixes or sugar-coating them, for example.  

It is also a fun way to add more fruit and veg to your child's diet. They may prefer the dried version over the cooked version, and with the nutrients still intact, it could make a healthy snack in between meals.   

Keep a bowl with dried fruit and nuts on the counter for little hands to grab when passing by, and before you know it, they have a few handfuls of vitamins and minerals swallowed down.   

In some countries, dried meat is also enjoyed as a snack. Americans prefer beef jerky, and in South Africa, they have biltong, both forms of dried red meat. Adding some peri-peri biltong to your barbeque snacks will be a hit! If you prefer white meat, there are options for dehydrated bacon and chicken that could be spiced and consumed as is.  

For a busy schedule that is always on the run, these dried versions of the fruit and veggies could easily be packed in a baggie for on-the-go healthy options. Fast food is always available but far less nutritional than the dried fruit and veg you can pack for yourself.   

Create some of your snack packs for the week by adding your favorite dried ingredients—these ready-made bags to make it so much easier for snacking anywhere.  

Baking Goods  

Many baking recipes call for dried ingredients. To make bran muffins moister, for instance, add a cup of raisins to the mix or some dried cranberries for extra flavor.

The baking process usually adds moisture back to the dried ingredients, and it refreshes them with great taste to the final product. Muffins are a great way to create healthier options for school lunch boxes or grab as a road snack.

Dried ingredients could also be added to other baked goods like raisin bread, fruit cakes, or zesty lemon cakes. Baking with dried ingredients is not a new practice and has been around for hundreds of years. Mostly, the products were dried to preserve them longer. But with these available at almost every store, you can use them to add flavor or extra nutritional value to your food.  

Also, consider using freeze-dried yogurt bites as a topping for baked goods to give them a signature look and add that extra effort on top. Pop a few in your mouth while baking for snacking while you bake.  

Baked goods also make an interesting gift for a housewarming or even a birthday. Keep those dried and dehydrated ingredients in your cupboard for a rainy day, and you will be surprised how quickly you can whip something up with them.  

Stews, Soups, And Casseroles  

These dishes are not only yummy, but they are also the best ways to add dried or dehydrated ingredients to the meal.   

The drying and dehydration process removes the moisture from the food, and when cooking, the moisture can be added back to it by cooking with many amounts of fluid. Vegetables like peas, carrots, and dried beans could be used in these dishes and added to their taste.  

While camping or hiking, dried or dehydrated meat could also be added to these dishes for extra protein. The meat products could last for a long time if vacuum sealed and stored in a cool place until they are needed for cooking.  

Create a delicious, nutritional meal for the whole family by adding your favorite dried ingredients next time you cook. 

 

Getting It Together 

Whether you prefer to have some dried fruit and veggies as a snack on your desk, biltong with friends at the barbeque, or while cooking healthy, nutritious meals for your family, there is a dried or dehydrated product waiting for you. 

Keep some of these ingredients in your pantry for those special occasions, or use them when you feel like it. Add some extra health and nutrition to your daily routines with dried or dehydrated deliciousness!