[Tisha___]

Are raisins bad for you? I've been reading a lot of stuff online the past two weeks, and one thing that seems to come up repeatedly, is that raisins aren't good for you. One "doctor" even said that you might as well be eating Hershey's kisses.

I love raisins and have been using them to curb some sweet-tooth cravings. Am I wrong to do that?



I don't eat a whole box at a time or anything...just maybe 10-12 raisins at a time.

[Libby1972]

I think raisins are wonderful. They contain iron, potassium, iodine and fiber. They also contain sugars. A large amount. So like anything else, eat them in moderation. I wouldn't consume more than an ounce in a half a day. (standard sized box) But eat them, they're good for you. I eat them all the time and I've lost 62 lbs. Dried cranberries, cherries and other fruits are great too. But like our raisin friends, you need to eat dried fruits in moderation because they are so calorie dense.

[Suzanne 3FC]

Raisins are just dried grapes. The only problem with raisins is that it's easy to eat too many, since they are small and taste good. A lot of diet plans don't allow dried fruits and suggest fresh fruits instead. Grapes still contain all of the water, so you can eat 8 whole cups of grapes for the same calories as 1 cup of raisins.

As long as you can control the portions, then you should be fine. I personally eat too many, so I stopped buying them

[Meg]

I avoid raisins because they're little sugar bombs, as is most dried fruit - way too high in sugar and calories for me. But I was so intrigued by the comparison of raisins and Hershey's Kisses that I had to go look them up!

For 40 grams of each:

Raisins
130 calories
0g fat
31g carbs, of which 29g are sugar
2g fiber
1g protein

Hershey's Kisses
240 calories
14g fat
21g carbs, of which 19g are sugar
1g fiber
4g protein

So both are sugar bombs, but the Kisses have 10 fewer grams of sugar (surprisingly!). But Kisses have a ton of fat and raisins have none. And thus Kisses have almost twice as many calories as raisins.

I can't say that either are 'health foods' but I think you're better off with the raisins than the Kisses for your sweet tooth.

[girl81]

i agree with meg about dried fruit.

[LaDean]

Hi, i went off sugar and i love the rasins. so figured hey all the good things for me. then bingo it hit me no wonder i loved them there all sugar. ha ha so thanks for all this info. glad i ran upon it. no more rasins. ha ha have a good day to all. LaDean

[nelie]

I eat raisins in moderation! Usually I mix raisins and nuts together for a little trail mix. I usually take the trail mix with me when I go hiking. I can also eat the trail mix (in severe moderation) as a snack.

[phantastica]

I keep raisins and other dried fruit at my desk, because even though they are sugar bombs I thought they had a bunch of things like phytochemicals and whatnot. Chocolate kisses have a lot more amino acids, but raisins have a bunch of potassium. The bad is that chocolate kisses have saturated fat per serving, and even though it's small I'm much more likely to overeat on chocolate than I am on raisins.

[Tisha___]

Thanks for all the replies and the great info. So, I guess I've come to the conclusion that I'll keep eating raisins, but keep it the way I've been doing it... just a few at a time.

[3Beans]

I love raisins too but the calories are definitely a concern. So instead of eating them straight from the box, I sprinkle 1/8 cup (55 cals) into cereal oatmeal, salads, curries, or yogurt. They have such a strong flavor I don't really need more than that to be happy.

Aside from the sugar raisins are a healthy food. But keep an eye out for coatings and preservatives. Enjoy!

[RockerGirl]

Off topic, but "Sugar Bomb" would be a great screen name!