Are Raisins the Perfect Snack Food?

[USAF-Larry]

I love raisins as a quick go-to snack, but now research is showing that it may be very good snack for athletes to provide the needed carbohydrate boost.  Could the lowly raisin be the perfect snack food?

This portable, convenient tiny fruit is one of the most economical and nutritious dried fruits you’ll find.  Raisins by nature are naturally good for us.  In a one-quarter cup serving, raisins provide no fat, 6% of the daily value for iron, 9% of the daily value for fiber, and 9% of the daily value for potassium.

Those important nutrients raisins contain can do a lot to raise our good health status.

For athletes who depend on commercially prepared carbohydrate sports chews to provide an athletes performance boost, may want to reconsider going more natural.  Research at the University of California-Davis found that whether it was sports chews or raisins, both resulted in promoting a higher carbohydrate oxidation thereby providing more endurance for runners needing to avoid depleting their glycogen stores.

Not only was there no difference in running performance between raisins and sports chews, but there was also no significant gastrointestinal differences.

Read full article here: Raisins Naturally Nutritious

[WendyB]

Nope dont like them wont eat them.

[A_Lurker]

I prefer dried cherries, never been a raisin fan.

[Bhuvana]

I love raisins, but always be cautious to add to my food as it has concentrated sugar content. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article. 

[lakelandsusan]

I never before would go and just snack on raisins but now Im really watching everything I eat...and now, I eat raisins as my sweet snack.  Even give them to my teen to take to school and he loves it too.  

I throw raisins and almonds in a snack bag and munch away.  Yum.  

[DanielleinDC]

I like to snack on dried fruit and nuts, but dried fruit can have a fair amount of sugar. I prefer dried cherries or dried apricots to raisins, though.

[DerrickS]

I'm with @WendyB, I can't do raisins.

Every time I eat trail mix I end up picking around the raisins and I end up with a bag of all the leftover raisins.

[WendyB]

@DerrickSYep get those nasty rasins out of there!

[Dave001]

I like to make my own trail mix. 

That way I can leave out nasty little surprises like dried apricots. 

I mostly use loads of different tree nuts and dried dates.

There's something wonderful about rewarding each mile walked with a delicious dried date.