The Nutritional Value and Glycemic Index of Dried Fruit
Nutrition & FitnessDiet & Nutrition

How to Choose Nutrient-Dense Low- or Medium-Glycemic-Index Dried Fruit

How to Choose Nutrient-Dense Low- or Medium-Glycemic-Index Dried Fruit
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Updated on October 1, 2025
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If you’re struggling to get enough fruit in your diet, consider eating more dried versions of it. A half-cup serving of dried fruit equals 1 cup of fresh fruit, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Dried fruit provides vitamins, minerals, and health-boosting phytochemicals (compounds found in plants), just like fresh fruit does. Make sure the dried fruit you’re choosing has no added sugars, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says.

Generally speaking, unsweetened dried and fresh fruits have a similar glycemic index (GI) score, which is the numerical value assigned to a food based on how much it raises blood sugar. The GI value is most often used by people with diabetes to make food choices that help manage blood sugar. If you’ve been told to stick to foods that are considered low (0 to 55) or medium (56 to 69) GI, dried fruit is still an option.

Raisins

According to the USDA, a half-cup serving of seedless raisins contains:

  • 217 calories
  • 2.4 grams (g) of protein
  • 0.2 g of fat
  • 57.5 g of carbohydrates
  • 3.3 g of fiber
  • 45 milligrams (mg) of calcium
  • 1.3 g of iron
  • 540 mg of potassium

Raisins have a GI of 49 to 66, according to the University of Sydney’s GI database, making them a low- to medium-GI food. Raisins have a slightly higher GI range than fresh grapes, which have a GI of 43 to 59, making them a low- to medium-GI food, also according to the University of Sydney.

Apricots

According to the USDA, a half-cup serving of dried apricots contains:

  • 157 calories
  • 2.2 g of protein
  • 0.3 g of fat
  • 40.7 g of carbohydrates
  • 4.7 g of fiber
  • 35.8 mg of calcium
  • 1.73 mg of iron
  • 755 mg of potassium
  • 117 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A

Dried apricots have a GI of 30 to 56, the University of Sydney says, making them a low- to medium-GI food, depending on how naturally sweet they are. Low-GI diets can help manage your diabetes, reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, help you lose or maintain a healthy weight, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Prunes

According to the USDA, a half-cup serving of pitted prunes contains:

  • 209 calories
  • 1.9 g of protein
  • 0.3 g of fat
  • 56 g of carbohydrates
  • 6.2 g of fiber
  • 37.4 mg of calcium
  • 0.8 mg of iron
  • 635 mg of potassium
  • 34 mcg of vitamin A

Prunes also have a low GI of 29 to 43, the University of Sydney says. In addition to having a low GI, dried fruits like prunes are also high in fiber. Fiber delays food digestion, which also slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says.

Figs

According to the USDA, a half-cup serving of figs contains:

  • 186 calories
  • 2.5 g of protein
  • 0.7 g of fat
  • 47.6 g of carbohydrates
  • 7.3 g of fiber
  • 120.5 mg of calcium
  • 1.5 mg of iron
  • 505 mg of potassium

Figs have a glycemic index of 54 to 61, the University of Sydney says, making them a low- to medium-GI food. Figs are a good source of fiber, with a half-cup serving providing 26 percent of the daily value of the nutrient, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Kayli Anderson, RDN

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Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainable. Anderson has worked with clients from all walks of life, but she currently specializes in nutrition therapy and lifestyle medicine for women. She’s the founder of PlantBasedMavens.com, a hub for women to get evidence-based, practical, and woman-centered guidance on nutrition and cooking, hormone health, fertility, pregnancy, movement, mental well-being, nontoxic living, and more.

Anderson is board-certified in lifestyle medicine and serves as lead faculty of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) "Food as Medicine" course. She is past chair of the ACLM's registered dietitian member interest group, secretary of the women's health member interest group, and nutrition faculty for many of ACLM's other course offerings. She is the coauthor of the Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide and works with many of the leading organizations in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to develop nutrition content, recipes, and educational programs.

Anderson frequently speaks on the topics of women’s health and plant-based nutrition and has coauthored two lifestyle medicine textbooks, including the first one on women’s health, Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan.

She received a master's degree in nutrition and physical performance and is certified as an exercise physiologist and intuitive eating counselor. She's a student of herbal medicine and women's integrative and functional medicine. She lives with her husband in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where you’ll find her out on a trail or in her garden.

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Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and lecturing on diet and health for more than 15 years. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Diabetes Self-Management and in the book "Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation," edited by John R. Bach, M.D. Corleone holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition.

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