Health Benefits of Grapes

Health Benefits of Grapes

Eating grapes on their own may be the most common way to consume them, but there are many ways to incorporate them into salads and other sweet and savory dishes.

Fruit Salad

Combine your favorite fruits in a colorful fruit salad, such as this recipe from the Vegan Recipe Bowl.

Fruits that may go well with grapes include these choices:

  • Kiwifruit
  • Oranges
  • Pears
  • Apples
  • Peaches
  • Plums
  • Bananas

Here are some tips for making your salad shine:

  • Choose a variety of colors.
  • Use a combination of soft and hard fruits to vary the texture.
  • Use whole grapes or cut them in half and remove the seeds.
  • Wash the fruits well but keep the skins on for color and fiber.
  • Avoid adding sugar or liquid; the natural juices in the fruits will prevent them from drying out.
  • Serve with low-fat Greek yogurt and top with chopped nuts for extra crunch and protein.
  • Use approximately a handful of grapes per person.

Refreshing Grape Smoothie

For breakfast or an energy boost during the day, try this tangy-sweet grape smoothie recipe from A Couple Cooks.

You’ll need these ingredients:

Turn Grapes Into Healthy Popsicles

Frozen grapes make a tasty treat in the summer and can substitute for popsicles. Freeze red or white grapes as they are or try this recipe from Healthy Little Peach for a tart candylike snack.

You’ll need these ingredients:

  • Seedless green grapes
  • Lime juice
  • Granulated monk fruit sweetener (as a low-carb sugar substitute)
Don’t give frozen grapes to young children, as they may pose a choking hazard.

Grapes in Your PB&J

Who doesn’t love a classic peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich? Still, just 1 tablespoon of grape jelly can add 8 g of added sugar to your sandwich.

Instead of jelly, try sliced grapes with peanut butter for the same sweet and salty contrast.

Snack Platter Featuring Grapes

Mixing grapes with cheese, nuts, or both will give you a range of essential nutrients. Grapes provide fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, while the cheese and nuts are good sources of protein.

  • For adults, include some olives and celery or carrot sticks.
  • For older children, make skewers of grapes and cheese cubes for a healthy snack.
  • For younger children, avoid nuts and cut the grapes and cheese into small pieces as they can be a choking hazard.

Grapes in Savory Salads

Add grapes to a crunchy and nutritious savory salad, as in this recipe from The Clever Meal.

Just mix the following:

  • Lettuce or leafy baby greens
  • Red or green grapes
  • Blue cheese
  • Walnuts
  • Celery
  • A light homemade vinaigrette dressing, made with with Dijon mustard, olive oil, and vinegar

The cheese and walnuts add protein, and the homemade vinaigrette avoids the added sugar often found in store-bought dressings.

Oatmeal Sweetened With Grapes

Oatmeal is a healthy, fiber-rich breakfast option. Plain oatmeal can be bland, so people often choose flavored or sweetened versions — but these can be high in sugar.

Instead, opt for plain oatmeal and stir in some chopped grapes as a sweetener. They’ll also add fiber and vitamins to your bowl.

Healthy Grape Sorbet

Grape sorbet makes a light and fruity dessert. Try this recipe from Live Eat Learn.

You’ll need these ingredients:

  • Frozen grapes
  • A dash of honey
  • Lemon juice and zest

Puree the frozen grapes in a food processor, mix in the other ingredients, and your sorbet is ready.

Roasted Grapes

Here is a novel way to serve grapes as a side with savory dishes or cheese. See the recipe on Glamorosi Cooks for details.

For four people, you’ll need these items:

  • 1 pound of seedless grapes
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • Salt and pepper to taste

You’ll need to toss the ingredients together, then roast them for 30 minutes.

Homemade Grape Juice

Homemade grape juice has more nutrients and less sugar than processed store-bought grape juice.

Try this recipe from FoodViva.com for grape juice with no added sugar.

Put these ingredients in a blender:

  • 2 cups of sweet grapes
  • 1 to 1.5 cups of water
  • 6 to 8 ice cubes
  • Half a lemon or lime if you want a tarter taste

It’s important to note that grape juice is healthier than soda, especially if you make it at home, but juice can be high in sugar and doesn’t have the same nutrients as whole grapes. “There are minerals that are only contained in the skin, like copper, manganese, and potassium, and some antioxidants that are part of the pigment of the skin, particularly in purple and red grapes,” Dr. Frediani says.

She adds, “Juicing removes the fiber in the skin of the grape, so there is not any fiber in grape juice. Also, grape juice has more concentrated sugar than a handful of grapes. It takes a lot of grapes to make a glass of juice, so you are going to have way more total carbohydrates in there regardless of it says it is unsweetened or not.”

People living with diabetes should note that grape juice is more concentrated in natural sugars, and because it’s a liquid, it could also have a more rapid response with a blood sugar elevation than eating the whole fruit, says Kimberlain.

Try Different Varieties of Grapes

In addition to the standard red and green grapes, there are many specialty varieties. The Foundation for Fresh Produce suggests keeping an eye out for these:

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