First off, what exactly is sugar?

Simply put, sugar is type of carbohydrate and is, therefore an important source of energy for our bodies and brain. Most people think of sugar as the white granulated variety (aka sucrose or table sugar) we put in our tea or coffee, but it comes in many guises. 

And despite what self-styled nutrition gurus and unqualified celebrities would have you believe, it’s almost impossible to completely remove sugar from our diet and go ‘sugar free’ because sugars are in lots of nutritious foods that we need to have a healthy, balanced diet. For example, there’s lactose (found in milk and dairy products like yogurt), glucose and fructose (found in fruits, including dried fruits like raisins, and vegetables) and maltose (found in grains like wheat and barley, and breakfast cereals).

Types of sugar… explained

Let’s get one thing clear – not all foods containing sugar are the same, so to help us better understand the sugars in our diet, the World Health Organisation separates them into two camps:

The healthier sugars

Milk and dairy foods (like yogurt, cheese); fruits and vegetables  (fresh, frozen, canned and dried with no added sugars); beans and pulses; cereal grains; nuts and seeds all contain sugar, but these natural occurring (or intrinsic) sugars come ‘locked in’ as part of a nutrient package with vitamins and minerals, and in some cases fibre, which all work together to keep us healthy.

… and the ones we need to cut down on

What we do need to cut down on are free (or added) sugars. They’re ‘free’ because they’re not naturally present in the food or drink – either because they’re added in, by us, by a chef or by a food manufacturer to enhance flavour, or they’re ‘freed’ from the plant cell walls of fruit and vegetables when they’re processed into juices, smoothies, purées and pastes.

Plus, don’t be hoodwinked by those ‘healthy’ unrefined sugar alternatives touted in the wellness world – the sugars naturally present in honey, molasses, trendy syrups (like maple, golden, coconut and agave) and nectars (such as blossom) all count as free sugars, and therefore need to be reduced in the diet, too.

What about the sugars in raisins?

Raisins are just full of added sugar, right? Wrong – it’s NOT added.  It was always there inside the fruit! Raisins are basically dried grapes – most of the water has been removed from the grapes though sun drying, which concentrates their natural sugars. That’s why raisins taste super sweet, but the sugar content of one raisin is actually no different to a fresh grape – it just comes in a smaller package!

And, as is the case with other traditional dried fruits, the sugars naturally present in raisins are bound within the fibrous matrix of the fruit, so they don’t count as the ‘free’ sugars type that we need to cut down on. This means that they’re slowly digested, which makes for better blood sugar (glucose) control. 

What’s more, raisins come hand-in-hand with vitamins, minerals, bioactive plant compounds with antioxidant capacities, and fibre that many Brits aren’t getting enough of.  Plus, a 30g portion (one tablespoon) counts as one of our five-a-day, too.

When it comes to our dental health, dried fruit, such as raisins has long been thought of as a big NO-NO due to their sugar content and supposed ‘stickiness’. Early research seems to suggest that dried fruit is not as detrimental to our dental health as once thought, and in fact, may provide some protective benefits. But, more research needs to be done to confirm this, and in the meantime, dentists and other health professionals will tell you that dried fruit is best enjoyed at mealtimes – as part of a dessert, for example, rather than as a snack.

Bottom line – Raisins are your friend.  Yes, raisins are not currently recommended between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. BUT they provide ‘healthy calories’ as opposed to ‘empty calories’ in sweets, chocolate, cakes and biscuits, so they’re a good, naturally-sweet treat swap, and ingredient in baking, puddings or even savoury dishes – especially given that many of us still fail to reach the recommended five daily fruit and veg portions, and 30g fibre target, too.