Meals based on fruit have plenty of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber. Antioxidants help reduce some of the harmful by-products of metabolism. Add dairy products or nuts to your fruit to slow the digestion of the fruit, preventing blood sugar spikes.
Raspberries and Cottage Cheese
One cup of raspberries has 60 calories, 14 g of carbs and 8 g of fiber. Top a ½ cup of 1 percent-fat cottage cheese with 1 cup of raspberries and 2 tbsp. of chopped walnuts. This quick and healthy meal has 238 calories, of which 34 percent of the calories come from carbs, 29 percent of the calories come from protein and about 37 percent from fat. Raspberries have phytochemicals that have been shown to reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, mental decline associated with aging and pain from inflammation, according to yhe Berry Health Benefits Network of Oregon State University.
Apple and Peanut Butter
Enjoy an apple with natural peanut butter and a cup of skim milk. A medium apple has 81 calories, 21 g of carbs and 4 g of fiber. One tablespoon of natural peanut butter -- peanut butter made with only peanuts and salt -- has 105 calories, 8 g of healthy fats and 1 g of fiber. A cup of skim milk has 90 calories, 8 g of protein and 11 g of carbs. This meal has 76 calories, of which about 50 percent of the calories are from carbs, 25 percent fo the calories are from protein and 25 percent of from mostly healthy fats. The high amount of fiber in an apple slows the fruit's digestion and absorption. Including peanut butter and milk in your meal further reduces the rate of digestion. This is an ideal meal if you have diabetes because it does not cause your blood sugar to spike, according to a 2003 article by Stephen Wong, Ph.D., and registered dietitian Susan Chung, published in the "Health & Fitness Journal." Or, eat this meal an hour before your workout for sustained energy.
Strawberry and Spinach Salad
Strawberries are loaded with 3 g of fiber and have only 46 calories per 1 cup serving; fiber lowers your LDL cholesterol level. Combine 1 cup of sliced strawberries, 2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves and ¼ cup of chopped walnuts for a healthy strawberry salad. Spritz your salad with a berry vinaigrette salad dressing. This combination has a total of 256 calories, of which about 60 percent of the calories are from the omega-3 fats in walnuts; the remaining calories are equally divided between carbs and protein. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and anthocyanins, antioxidants that help reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, advises Berry Health Benefits Network.
References
- Berry Health Benefits Network: Health and Healing Fact Sheets: Raspberries
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Glycemic Index: An Educational Tool for Health and Fitness Professionals; Stephen Wong, Ph.D., and Susan Chung, R.D.N.; November/December 2003
- Berry Health Benefits Network: Healthy and Healing Fact Sheet: Strawberries
- "The NutriBase Complete Book of Food Counts"; NutriBase; 2001
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