Dried strawberry

The NHS counts 30 g of dried fruit as one portion of your 5 A Day. That’s a small handful; have it with a meal rather than nibbling it between meals.

Stir chewy pieces into overnight oats before chilling so they soften, or add them to hot porridge for the last few minutes. Scatter crisp freeze-dried pieces on top just before eating to keep their crunch.

Yes. Chop chewy dried strawberries into flapjacks, muffins or scones; if they feel very hard, soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry before mixing into the batter.

Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard, away from steam and direct sunlight. Seal the pack promptly after opening so the pieces do not absorb moisture and turn sticky.

Freeze-dried strawberries are usually light and crisp, while strawberries dried with warm air tend to be denser and chewy. Check the ingredients too: some products include added sugar or oil.

For a plain, tart fruit snack, choose a pack whose ingredients list only strawberries. Some dried strawberries are sweetened or coated with oil, which changes their taste and texture.

Yes: dried strawberry has 17 g of fibre per 100 g, compared with 2.4 g in fresh strawberry. Removing water concentrates the fruit’s fibre in a smaller weight.