New Delhi, July 5 (PTI): With fitness freaks stressing on fat-free healthy diet, dry fruits like cashews, almonds are in for stiff competition from the new variants popularly known as the 'healthy nuts' or 'healthy dry fruits'.

"Researchers and nutritionists across the world have proved that it is wrong to stay away from nuts because of the presumed fat and cholesterol. No, doubt, nuts indeed give you fat but then hazelnuts gives you good fat," says V N Dalmia of Dalmia Continental Private Ltd (DCPL) which is all set to market Leonardo Hazelnuts in India promoting it as a 'healthy nut'.

Exports and importers dealing with dry fruits agree that new varieties of 'healthy nuts' are giving a strong competition to what was traditionally dry fruits in India namely, cashews, almonds and raisins.

"The lifestyle trend is such that everyone wants to go in for healthy variants so why should dry fruits be any different. Now, we see that slowly traditional dry fruits like cashews are taking a backseat while new exotic dry fruits and nuts like macadamia from Australia and mulberries among other like dry cherries, dried plums and prunes gaining higher demand," says Sanjiv Obhrai, Director, Chocolatiers the Chocolate Boutique in the capital.

"The market is growing for such dry fruits," he adds. Even DCPL, which recently launched packed hazelnuts in the market is very bullish with market expectations.

"We expect sales of 60 tonnes which amounts to roughly Rs 3 crores in the first year and are looking at a compounded annual growth rate of 75 per cent per annum for the next five years," DCPL added.