I’m sure everyone has heard people say, “fruit is full of sugar,” “fruit is unhealthy,” or “fruit will make you fat.” Unfortunately, fruit has been given this misconception and I am here to tell you the truth about fruit.
Fruit is healthy and there is no reason to exclude it from your diet, in fact fruit should be included in everyone’s diet on a daily basis. Whole foods are not the reason for you picking up weight, it is an excess calorie consumption that leads to weight gain. Refined, processed foods that are energy dense is what is most likely causing your weight gain.
Fruit does contain sugar, but it Is a natural sugar, called fructose. There is a huge difference between the sugar you find in fruit and added sugar you find in your sweets, chocolates, sauces and baked goods.
In fact, fruit is extremely beneficial to your health. It is high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients and this is what your body requires to support your immune system and overall general health.
Here are a few important facts to remember about fruit.
All fruit is healthy. Some fruits are naturally higher in natural sugar than others, but all fruit is perfectly healthy to consume and a variety of different coloured fruits is most beneficial.
Fruit is high in fibre. Fibre is important for your digestive health, keeps you fuller for longer, helps in weight loss and blood sugar control and is vital for disease prevention.
Fruit is rich in antioxidants and these are important because they protect our body from oxidative stress, prevent cell damage and help in disease prevention
Fruit is a great way to beat that sugar craving.
Fruits are naturally quite low in calories and are great to consume as a healthy snack
Avoid removing the skin of fruits. The skin is where a high amount of the fibre is found.
A smoothie is a much better option when compared to juicing. Juicing removes most of the important fibre.
Eat fruit whole. Avoid fruit juices or juicing fruit because most of the fibre is removed.
A glass of fruit juice requires a lot more whole fruits to produce just that one glass of juice.
For example, to make one glass of apple juice, you may need 5 apples which we all know is not a good idea to consume all at once. Fruit juice should be consumed only occasionally.
Dried fruit is still great to consume and still counts as a portion of fruit. It is important to remember that with dried fruit, a lot of the water has been removed which will make you want to consume a larger portion to make you full and it is a lot more sugar dense than whole fruit.
If you are having dried fruit occasionally, remember to monitor the portion and ensure there is no added sugars.
Aim for 1-3 fruits a day. The rest of your 7 portions of fruits and vegetables should come from vegetables.
Don’t believe everything you see on the internet or hear from the people around you, rather seek professional advice.
Remember, all fruit is healthy.
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