Dried fruit is ideal for use anytime and in so many ways, and it doesn’t even take a recipe. In fact, dried fruit can be used for lots of easy, no-bake meals that can be tossed together in advance or on-the fly. The Traina Home Grown family offers the following ways to use dried fruit — and all of their sun dried products — in easy and delicious ways.

Toppings and Trail Mixes — From salads to cereals, Traina® Home Grown dried fruit is easy to sprinkle on any meal to give it a hearty dose of fiber and other important vitamins and nutrients. Dried fruit can also be tossed in with a variety of other snacks — from nuts and seeds to oats, mini pretzels, coconut shavings and chocolate chips to make a hearty and delicious snack. 

Dips and Dressings — Mixing ingredients such as ranch or sour cream with Traina Home Grown Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup or BBQ sauce varieties make a great dip for French fries and chicken strips. These sauce combinations can also be used as an aioli on burgers and sandwiches or even dressings for salads. A tablespoon of BBQ sauce added to an oil and vinegar mixture can make for a great dressing for BBQ chicken salads while mixing a tablespoon of Sun Dried Tomato Ketchup can kick up an ordinary Italian dressing.

Blended — Dried fruit can be blended to make a wholesome substitute for sugar or a no-sugar added fruit butter or jam. This paste can be used with scones and muffins, or simply on a piece of bread, and it’s a great accompaniment to a lovely charcuterie board with artisan meats, cheeses, and nuts. Blending Traina Home Grown Sun Dried Tomatoes in the food processor can also made a deliciously rich tomato paste to be used in a variety of ways.

Dipped — For a sweet snack after dinner, chocolate-dipped dried fruit is a crowd-pleaser! Simply microwave some melting chocolates and dip away! Have fun with combinations and toppings such as marshmallows, crushed graham crackers or pretzels, fresh bananas or strawberries, chopped nuts and more. 

Regardless of how dried fruit is used, it can be an important part of any meal. With studies showing that most people don’t get enough fruit on a daily basis, dried fruit is an easy and delicious way to fill that intake.