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Fruit Guidelines
Fruits have a great lineup of nutrients while being easy on the calories. They're a delicious way to satisfy your sweet tooth while you're losing and managing your weight.How Much Fruit Should I Be Eating?
Most people trying to lose weight will be aiming for 1.5 to 2 cups of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit. See the chart below for the Guidelines recommendations for your calorie level.
| Calorie Level (per day) | 1,000-1,400 | 1,600-1,800 | 2,000-2,600 | 2,800-3,200 |
| Fruits | 1 cup | 1.5 cups | 2 cups | 2.5 cups |
If your recommended amount of fruit is more than you usually eat, be sure to cut back on less nutrient-dense foods, such as sweets or typical snack foods, while you add more fruit to your routine. If you already eat the recommended amount of fruit, perhaps choose lower-calorie versions, such as fresh fruit rather than canned fruit in syrup. Limit fruit juice to one-half or less of your daily fruit allotment. Go easy on dried fruit -- it's concentrated; a mere 1/4 cup equals a serving.
 Publications International, Ltd. One of the great things about fruit is that you can add it to a great number of other food items. Blueberries on cereal is an old-time favorite. |
Fruit is relatively low in calories, making it a great choice for weight loss and long-term weight management. Fruit is high in fiber, providing bulk that helps keep you satisfied so you eat fewer calories. At the same time, fruit is a great source of vitamin C and the heart-healthy mineral potassium. Fruits that are dark orange in color, such as peaches and apricots, are also good sources of vitamin A. Fruits also contain many phytochemicals, special plant substances that help fight cell damage, prevent cancer, boost immunity, and more. And these fantastic nutrients come packed into a sweet, juicy, and easy-to-eat form. Eat a wide variety of fruits to get a wide variety of nutrients. For instance, bananas are rich in potassium, citrus fruits are brimming with vitamin C, and berries are loaded with phytochemicals and fiber.
Best Bites for Weight Loss
Fruits contain about 40 to 80 calories per serving, depending on the fruit, though a few top out at about 100 calories. There are smart choices you can make in your fruit selections to eat fewer calories. To minimize calories, eat whole fruit rather than fruit juice and fruit products without added fat or sugar. Juice is quite concentrated, so it is higher in calories. But because it is processed, it is also much lower in fiber. An orange contains about half the calories of orange juice, but it contains much more fiber.
Avoid fruits canned in heavy syrup, or at least pour the syrup -- and the calories -- down the drain and lightly rinse off any remaining syrup. If you add sugar to fruit, do so with a gentle hand. Let your taste buds adjust to the less-intense sweetness of fruit. Better yet, try low-sugar alternatives such as a splash of balsamic vinegar on strawberries to bring out their sweetness. Dried fruits, although packed with nutrients, are also packed with calories since they're dehydrated. Dried fruits may be more convenient, but it's not wise to cut corners when it comes to nutrition. To stay within your calorie allowance, keep dried fruit intake to 1/4 cup or less per day.
Incorporating Fruit into Your Diet
Start by buying more fruit at the grocery store or farm stand. Select new fruits or those you haven't had in a while, as well as old favorites. Watch for sales and stock up so you always have some on hand. Eat fruit throughout the day. Get started by including it in your morning routine. Add fruit to your cereal or peel it and eat on your way to work. Enjoy another fruit as part of your lunch or an afternoon pick-me-up snack. Top off dinner with a fruit-based dessert, such as a dish of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit or a baked apple or pear sprinkled with cinnamon. Use berries or other fruit to top sugar-free vanilla pudding made with nonfat milk. On occasion, bake up a fruit crisp. Eating fruit will help satisfy your sweet tooth. Aim for eating fruit as dessert after dinner two days each week, then add more days.
Blend up a beverage full of fruit and no added sugar. Make a smoothie of fruit juice -- your favorite fresh, frozen, or canned fruit plus nonfat plain yogurt and a banana for creaminess. Make ahead and keep in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast or snack. For a twist on fruit salad, toss a variety of fruits with light vanilla yogurt and top with a few heart-healthy nuts and sprigs of mint.
Fruit goes great with vegetable salads. An old favorite, Waldorf salad, teams up apples with celery and stays low in calories if you make it with nonfat yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Spinach salads are great with fresh oranges, canned mandarin oranges, or sliced strawberries. Top with a low-calorie dressing such as raspberry vinaigrette or merely a splash of good-quality balsamic vinegar. Grapefruit or apple slices are a delicious addition to lettuce salads -- add a sprinkle of cheese such as gorgonzola and a few toasted nuts or seeds, and you've got a gourmet salad in an instant. Be creative and add fruit in unusual but tasty dishes, such as apples in your poultry stuffing, or as a grilled treat on the summer barbeque. Nothing beats grilled pineapple as a summertime dessert!
Setting Fruit Goals
Take a moment and write an effective goal. Examples of goals to increase your fruit consumption might be:
- I will buy enough fruit to have one piece at breakfast and one piece at lunch five days this week.
- I will eat a fruit-based dessert three times this week.
