Should dry fruits be consumed in Summers?

Dry fruits are an Indian household's old friend. Whether it is garnishing a dessert, gifting or an efficiency booster, many have vouched for their goodness. However, there is a dominant belief that dry fruits should not be included in Summers diet. It is believed that including them in your diet can produce excessive heat in the body resulting in pimples, rashes and irritation on the skin.

Davinder Kaur, a resident of Delhi who thinks highly of dry fruits as a dietary supplement and feeds her children on dry fruits regularly, says, "I think consuming dry fruits in summers is not so healthy. It can generate heat in the body. Although I recommend my children eat dry fruits mixed with other food substances like milk or fruits."

We realize that only a professional can guide us on the right path and clear all our doubts. CitySpidey talked to Dr Vaishali Verma, Dietitian and Diabetes Educator.

Dr Vaishali says, "Dry fruits are a wonderful source of energy. Consumption of dry fruits regularly helps individuals extract minerals, vitamins, protein, fibre and boost stamina. One can eat every type of dry fruit in summers also."

While suggesting the same, she explains, "Consumption of dry fruits in summers should be less in comparison to the intake of dry fruit in winters as some of them can produce excessive heat in the body. There
are also ways to increase the nutritional value and digestibility of dry fruits and nuts. Soak them in milk overnight and eat them early in the morning. One can also drink the milk in which dry fruits or nuts have
been soaked overnight, especially fruits like fig and dates. You can make the smoothie or any other drink from it." Some of the easily available dry fruits are almonds, cashew nuts, figs and walnuts.

As we saw, good fruits are healthy to consume in Summers too. Like the doctor suggested, their forms and quantity may vary. So add some to your daily cereal, or grate them to your shakes. Happy Summers!