Continuing the health kick

Dried fruit is healthy, right?

Not necessarily. Most commercially dried fruits use sulphites as a preservative. It keeps the fruit nice and plump and colourful.

Trouble is, in just one commercially dried apricot the sulphur exceeds the recommended daily intake for a child.

So a child munching on dried fruit for snacks will be ingesting really high levels of sulphur. And sulphites have been linked to asthma and excema amongst other things.

I've stopped buying sulphur dried fruit and only buy naturally dried now. The taste is great, the colour is less, but I'm happier inside.

And while I'm on the topic: here's a great recipe for fruit (and vegie) leather.

Use really ripe fruit, or else soften it a little in the steamer.

With a bamix or kitchen whiz thing, mix together any combination of fruit plus a little honey. In my last lot of fruit leather, I used steamed carrots, pears, apricots, sultanas and a secret ingredient - goji berries. (These are apparently a complete source of protein, and protein is what my little fella needs a lot of.)

Add water if needed to get it to a nice thick globby consistency.

Lay some cling wrap on a tray and spread the fruit mix over it - about 3-5mm thick.

Put the tray in your car, park it in the sun with the window down 1 inch and in 6-8 hours, you have beautiful fruit leather. Great for snacks.