Fresh and dried fruits are a dieter's best friends. Fresh fruits are high in water content but low in calories, which helps you feel full without blowing your calorie allotment for the day. Dried fruits like dates and raisins are naturally sweet and high in fiber. You'll need to control your portions, because dried fruits are higher in calories than their fresh counterparts. But even a few dates will satisfy your hunger while adding healthy fiber and nutrients to your diet.
Step 1
Calculate the number of calories and fruit servings you should eat each day. Consult a doctor or nutritionist, or visit a reputable online resource such as Mayo Clinic's "Healthy Weight Pyramid Tool." A 35-year-old woman seeking to lose about 20 pounds, for example, might be advised to eat 1200 calories a day and work at least three servings of fruit into the overall meal plan. The plan also makes room for a 75-calorie snack, which on some days might be an additional serving of fruit.
Step 2
Purchase a balanced selection of fruits. Choose some that are high in fiber but somewhat higher in calories, such as dates, as well as those that are high in water and nutrients and low in calories, like grapefruit and watermelon. Fresh fruits like raspberries, apples and pears fit both the high-fiber and low-calorie bill.
Step 3
Slice fresh fruit into your morning cereal or yogurt. Good choices include blueberries, bananas, orange segments or apple chunks. A 1-cup serving of fresh fruit will give you vitamins but contribute only about 50 to 130 calories, depending on the fruit. You may opt to have a glass of fruit juice as your morning fruit serving, but bear in mind that juice is low in fiber. Orange juice has an average of .5 g of fiber per cup, compared to the 4.3 g of fiber in a cup of orange segments.
Step 4
Dice about five dates into a peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese sandwich. This serving yields 3.3 g of fiber from the dates alone and adds only 117 calories to your sandwich.
Step 5
Add a refreshing slice of cantaloupe or watermelon to your plate at dinnertime. High-water fruits like those in the melon family add only about 50 to 80 calories to your meal, while contributing sweetness and nutrients.
Step 6
Choose fresh or dried fruits as your daily snack. MayoClinic.com recommends keeping the snack to about 75 calories. A small packet of raisins are 41 calories, while 1 cup of raspberries is 63 calories and an apple, with skin, is 72 calories. All represent low-calorie servings that are also high in fiber, because foods with edible seeds and skins are naturally high in fiber.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have additional calories left on your "budget," use them on fruits or vegetables. These categories are the only ones that are unlimited in weight-loss plans like those recommended by the Mayo Clinic, which call for three or more fruit servings and four or more vegetable servings. Plan meals carefully to include all of the daily recommended food groups. Along with three servings of fruits and four of vegetables, include four servings of whole grains, three servings of low-fat protein foods -- including dairy -- three healthy fat servings and a 75-calorie snack. Use dried fruits to add interest and fiber to savory dishes. Dates are a classic accompaniment to Middle Eastern lamb dishes, for example, while figs and low-fat cheese pair well as an appetizer or snack.
- Read labels carefully to calculate the best portions for your diet plan. One cup of dates will add 500 calories to your daily diet. Going overboard on the serving could take up almost half of your daily recommended calorie intake if you're on a 1200-calorie diet.
Things You'll Need
- Dates, raisins and other dried fruits
- Watermelon, grapefruit and other high-water fruits
- Apples, raspberries, pears and other fruits with edible skins or seeds
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