Sweetened dried tart cherries carry 333 kcal and 67.2 g sugar per 100 g. The sweetener sits on top of drying's natural 3–5× concentration (Sadler et al., Int J Food Sci Nutr 2019). A NHANES analysis (Yang et al., JAMA Intern Med 2014) linked 25%+ of calories from sugar to 2.75× CVD mortality. Treat as a dessert ingredient, not a fruit serving.
How should I track Cherries, tart, dried, sweetened?
Dried fruits like Cherries, tart, dried, sweetened are one of the sneakiest calorie sources because they look small but pack serious energy. Removing the water concentrates the calories — a small handful of dried fruit can match a full bowl of fresh fruit calorically. Research (Almiron-Roig et al., Appetite 2013) shows that people underestimate calorie-dense foods by 50–200% when portioning by eye. Weigh on a scale and pre-portion if snacking. Also check whether your variety is sweetened or unsweetened — the sweetened versions add 10–15% more calories from the sugar coating.