Fruit for Breakfast Diet

According to CDC.gov, it's rare for Americans to eat enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Along with providing essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients, fruits are a source of quick energy and natural sugars. They can work particularly well as breakfast items, when most people need a metabolism boost and a healthy dietary choice to start their days.

Benefits

Eating any type of fruit for breakfast, even a single apple or banana, is a better choice than skipping the meal altogether. According to MayoClinic.com, regular breakfast eaters tend to make healthier nutritional choices all day long and are likely to be more physically active than people who skip the meal. The website also says that skipping breakfast is associated with obesity, but that eating fruit in the morning can help stave off later hunger and curb cravings for other foods.

Drawbacks

Fruit by itself is not the most balanced breakfast option. Fruits are high in sugar, which provides quick energy, but they don't contain enough calories or nutrient variety to keep most people's hunger satisfied for longer than a couple of hours. Fruit juice, dried fruit and processed fruit products may contain more sugar, calories and fat than whole fruits, so they have the potential to derail strict diet plans.

Nutrition

Fruits contain important vitamins and minerals that are instrumental in reducing the risks of bone loss, stroke, heart disease, kidney stones, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer, according to MyPyramid.gov. For the best health value, it's necessary to combine those nutrients with other whole foods. CookingLight.com recommends forming a breakfast that contains lean protein, high-fiber carbohydrates and unsaturated fat.

Choices

Eating a piece of whole fruit or a variety of cut fruit is an easy and convenient breakfast choice, but ClevelandClinic.org encourages people to combine fruit with whole grains and low-fat dairy in the morning. The website suggests having oatmeal with fruit and skim milk, nonfat yogurt with fresh fruit, a whole-grain bagel with low-fat cheese and berries, a yogurt-based fruit smoothie or an egg-white omelet with fresh fruit on the side.

Considerations

A healthy diet includes a variety of foods in addition to fruit, including whole grains, vegetables, lean protein and nonfat dairy products. According to CNN.com's physician nutrition specialist, Dr. Melina Jampolis, eating more than three servings of fruit per day can compromise a balanced diet plan, may add surplus calories to a daily total and can prevent weight loss. People who intend to lose weight through a diet plan may want to discuss their meal choices and nutritional requirements with a physician or registered dietitian.