Vegetables and fruits are known as good sources of vitamins and minerals but some people dislike their smell and taste and thus avoid eating them. In recent years, dried crispy vegetables and fruits have become popular and can easily be purchased online. Many people, even those who are not fans of vegetables and fruits, find the crispy, crunchy and seasoned vegetables and fruits easy to consume. On online threads and social platforms, there are many discussions and reviews of these products. However, some brands claim that their crispy products contain no sugar or oil and are healthy. But is that true?
Assoc Prof Kanitha Tananuwong, head of the Department of Food Technology at the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, explained that there are two types of crispy vegetables and fruits -- vacuum fried and freeze-dried -- available in Thailand. Vacuum frying involves frying the products below atmospheric pressure while freeze-drying does not involve frying at all.
"Since vegetables and fruits are fried in a vacuum, the temperature of the oil is lower than that required for deep frying. As a result, vacuum fried foods are crispy and maintain their bright colour. However, this is still frying and these products absorb and contain oil. In contrast, freeze-dried vegetables and fruits do not contain any oil. They undergo a dehydration process via sublimation. Moisture can be removed, yielding a dried product with a light and crispy texture. Although freeze-dried vegetables and fruits may not be as delicious as vacuum fried products, they can be viewed as 'healthier' alternatives due to their very low-fat content," explained Kanitha.
Kanitha also explained that every fruit still contains sugar.
"When some brands label their fruit products as 'no sugar', they probably mean they have not added processed sugar" -- Assoc Prof Kanitha Tananuwong. (Photo courtesy of Assoc Prof Kanitha Tananuwong)
"When some brands label their fruit products as 'no sugar', they probably mean they have not added processed sugar but fruits naturally contain sugar, or fructose," she explained.
In Thailand, most fruits can be freeze-dried but not vegetables. Most seasoned crispy vegetables go through a vacuum frying process and contain a certain amount of oil.
"Freeze-dried vegetables are not quite as delicious since they do not have a sweet taste or delightful aroma like fruits. Thus, to make vegetable snacks crunchy and fragrant, the vegetables undergo vacuum frying," said Kanitha.
Some people have crispy vegetable and fruit snacks between meals instead of snacks like potato chips because they believe these products are healthier and provide more fibre than potato chips. However, if they eat vacuum fried foods and not freeze-dried foods, they should be aware of the fact that it contains oil.
"Compared to a snack like potato chips, fruit and vegetable chips are more nutritious [eg contain more dietary fibre]. However, various kinds of fruits and vegetables absorb oil differently and some vacuum fried vegetables may absorb more oil than potato chips. This should be kept in mind to avoid excessive consumption," said Kanitha.
Even though freeze-dried fruit snacks are considered healthier than vacuum fried foods, it does not mean that we can consume them without limit. In fact, we should be careful of their sugar content.
Crispy vegetable and fruit snacks. (Photo: Suwitcha Chaiyong)
"The downside of freeze-dried fruit snacks is the sugar content. After removing moisture from sweet or sweet-and-sour fruits such as pineapple, freeze-dried fruits have a higher percentage of sugar than fresh ones. If we consume 50g of freeze-dried pineapple, we will ingest more sugar than when eating 50g of fresh pineapple. Hence, people who need to watch their sugar consumption, like diabetics, should be careful not to overconsume freeze-dried fruits," she said.
Since every product has positive and negative effects, Kanitha suggested that people should not eat too much of one food. It is better to alternate between fresh fruits and vegetables and crispy fruit and vegetable snacks. However, the question is how much is too much?
"Look at the serving size on the nutrition label on the product. The serving size is based on the amount of food people normally consume in one sitting. Consumers should also note facts relating to calories, sugar, salt and fat. This information can help people understand how many calories, fat and/or sugar they will receive from one serving," explained Kanitha.
Besides big companies that produce crispy vegetable and fruit products with proper labelling, many homemade snacks are also available online but their products do not come with labelling. In this case, Kanitha suggests consumers use their own judgement if they want to purchase and consume these products.
"There is no problem if people consume food in appropriate portions but it is not right to think crispy vegetable and fruit snacks are healthy and eat them without restraint," said Kanitha.
Even though vegetables and fruits are good for our health, people worry about pesticide contamination. Contamination of pesticides/chemicals in vegetables and fruits can be removed by soaking produce in a solution of potassium permanganate, baking soda or vegetable and fruit washing solution.
"People should read instructions on websites created by reliable state agencies and follow them carefully as they provide details regarding the ratio of water and potassium permanganate or baking soda to be used as well as the required soaking time. Using a vegetable and fruit washing solution is convenient because instructions are provided on the label. This process can reduce the amount of pesticide on vegetables and fruits but it takes time. Be patient and follow the instructions," she said.
The website of the Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Siriraj Hospital suggests using one tablespoon of baking soda with 20 litres of water and leaving the vegetables and fruits in the water for 15 minutes. According to the website, this method can eliminate contamination by 80% to 95%. Yet, some people believe that nutrients in the food can be lost if vegetables and fruits are left in the water too long.
"Not many nutrients are lost while soaking vegetables and fruits in water if they are not cut open. The natural coating of vegetables and fruits protects them from nutrient loss," she said.
According to Kanitha, people who do not like crispy vegetables and fruit snacks should look for other alternatives as many substitutes are currently available.
"People who have constipation and want to consume more fibre can eat a cereal bar or a bowl of breakfast cereal containing dietary fibre or consume beverages with fibre. The latter products are available in many forms, including fibre drinks, yoghurts and even ready-to-drink teas.
"With these different types of beverages, people will receive more dietary fibre but not other nutrients naturally found in vegetables and fruits such as vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals. If they want those compounds, they may take dietary supplements. In fact, fresh vegetables and fruits provide various kinds of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Their price is lower than dietary supplements as well," said Kanitha.
