Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are found in a number of retail outlets these days. Once found mainly in health food stores, dehydrated vegetables and fruits are now found in discount retail stores, supermarkets, and drugstores. One question many people have regards the amount of nutrition that is found in food that has undergone a process of dehydration. The good news is that there is little to no difference in the vitamins and nutrients contained in dehydrated fruit and dehydrated vegetable products in comparison to their fresh counterparts.

Essentially, dehydrated fruit is simple the same product, less most of the moisture content. Most forms of dehydrated products reduce the amount of moisture to roughly a quarter of the amount found in the fresh variety. What this leaves is a very thin and light food material that retains all the minerals and vitamins.

Removing most of the liquid does not leave a totally dry product. Dehydrated fruit that has only a 25% moisture content will still be somewhat pliable and soft to the touch. In addition, the dehydrated product will be easy to chew and retain just about all the flavor of a fresh counterpart.

There are some dehydrated fruit products that will remove all but three to five percent of the moisture content. Banana chips are an excellent example of this degree of dehydration. The end product still retains a large amount of nutrients, and has the benefit of a crispy texture. As a substitute for high fat snack foods, these crunchy dehydrated fruit options can be a great way to still enjoy an afternoon snack without consuming a lot of empty calories.

One important point to remember with dehydrated fruit and vegetables is that just as the nutrients are retained, so is the glucose content of the product. This means that persons who need to watch their glucose level should be careful about consuming the dehydrated products. It is very possible to consume a great deal of fruit in one setting, since the bulk is so greatly reduced.