Fruit Facts: Packing it in

Fruit is a perfect diet food, especially for those of us who have a mean sweet tooth. It can curb cravings, boost antioxidants and offers a multitude of other health benefits. But the kind of fruit you eat is almost less important than how it's packaged. Whether you prefer canned, frozen, dry or fresh, weigh the pros and cons and the impact they have on your diet. Dried fruit is certainly convenient, portable and tasty. But it's also easy to overindulge. Dried fruit is physically smaller than fresh fruit, so you get less per serving. For example, one cup of fresh apricot slices will cost you about 74 calories. One cup of dried apricots weigh in at more than 300 calories! When fruit goes through a dehydrating process, it also can lose nutrients such as vitamin C. If you like canned fruit, then the diet busters to avoid are those that contain added sugar. Look for fruit packed in water, rather than sugary syrups.