If you are consuming enough calories to maintain your weight, eating extra fruit could cause weight gain. However, because fresh fruit is low in calories but high in fiber and water, eating fruit might fill you up and satisfy your hunger before you can consume enough calories to affect your weight. If you substitute fresh fruit for high-calorie foods rather than simply adding extra servings of fruit, you might lose rather than gain weight.
Recommended Servings
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, recommends that active women under 30 should have 2 cups of fruit each day, and active women over 30 should have 1-1/2 cups each day. All active men should have 2 cups of fruit each day, according to the USDA. For example, one small apple, one large banana, 32 grapes or one large peach constitute a cup. If you want to eat more than the recommended servings, substitute an extra serving of fruit for a dinner roll with butter, a slice of cheese, a cookie or a small serving of potato chips.
Calories and Weight Gain
The food exchange list developed by the American Diabetes Association assigns 60 calories to one serving of fresh fruit such as one small apple, one extra-small banana, 17 grapes, one small orange or one medium peach constitute a serving of fruit. To gain 1 pound, you have to consume 3,500 calories beyond the calories you need to maintain your weight. If you don't increase your activity level and you eat two extra servings of fruit each day -- a total of 120 calories -- on top of the calories you need to maintain your weight, you could conceivably gain one pound in 29 days.
Energy Density
Fresh fruits are nutrient-dense, low-energy foods, according to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. This means that they are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates, but low in calories, or energy. Fresh fruit is high in water and fiber, which control your hunger by creating a feeling of fullness. This sensation of being full might make you stop eating even though you haven't consumed a lot of calories or fat. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables might help you lose weight, especially if you are eating fruit in place of high-calorie, high-fat foods.
Balancing Your Diet
To maintain a healthy weight and meet your requirements of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, eat a variety of foods from the major food groups each day. Along with fresh fruit, plan your diet around vegetables, whole-grain products, legumes or lean meat, eggs, nuts and seeds and unsaturated vegetable oils, the USDA advises. If you love fruit, replace high-calorie desserts or snacks with apples, oranges, peaches, grapes or berries.
Suggestions
When you're planning meals and snacks, focus on fresh, raw fruit rather than fruit juice or canned fruits with syrup, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Canned fruit can have added sugar, while juices lack the fiber of raw fruit. Dried fruit such as prunes, raisins, dried cranberries or apricots offer fiber and other nutrients, but they lack the water content of fresh fruit, and their sugars are more concentrated. Portions of dried fruit should be smaller than their fresh equivalents.
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