Health Bite

For anyone trying to cut back on the sugar in their diet, dried figs provide a useful form of highly nutritious natural sweetness.

They are a great source of fibre (4-5g per fig compared to 2-3g for dates), which means they can help relieve constipation and also contribute to good heart health.

Fresh or dried, they are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and more calcium than other dried fruits, as well as iron, magnesium and zinc, which contributes to a healthy immune system.

Soak dried figs for 30 minutes to soften them before puréeing into cakes and flapjacks or stirring into porridge.