Who hasn’t grabbed one of those small red boxes of raisins? They’re a great portable snack – or are they?
Raisins are dried grapes. The good news is that raisins are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. They’re about 3.5% dietary fiber and 3% protein by weight.
The bad news is that a large portion of the calories in raisins comes from sugars. By weight raisins range from about 67% to 72% sugars – mostly glucose and fructose.
Nutrition Info
A teeny mini box of raisins (.5 oz) has 42 calories, 0g fat, 11g carbs, and 0g protein. This is the carb equivalent of about a little under 3 teaspoons of sugar.
A small box (1.5 oz) has 129 calories, 0g fat, 34g carbs, 1g protein. This is the carb equivalent of around 8 and ½ teaspoons of sugar.
One serving of California raisins is ¼ cup and 130 calories and contains less than 2% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of Vitamins A and C and traces of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic, Vitamin B6, folate, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, and 81mg of iron.
Think About This
Raisins have a lot of good things going for them – but they’re very high in sugar.
Think of it this way: one teaspoon of granulated sugar equals 4 grams of sugar; 4 teaspoons of granulated sugar is equal to 16 grams of sugar; 8 teaspoons of sugar is equal to about 32 grams of sugar.
If you’re grabbing handfuls of raisins from the container to eat as a snack – or dumping an equally large handful on your cereal — you may be adding a lot more sugar and calories than you realize.
Penny Klatell, PhD, RN, is a nurse, nutritional health counselor, health and wellness coach, author, and former college professor. Penny’s intent is to couple her professional experience and her belief in “you are what you eat” with her passion for delicious, healthy, and happy eating -- and then to share that information with you.
