Eating more servings of fruit every day is a great idea if you're trying to improve your health and steadily lose weight while meeting your body's nutritional needs. However, balance is king when it comes to safe weight loss, so be aware that going overboard on just one type of food, such as fruit, may make it more difficult to slim down.
Advantages
If you must focus on just one food group in your weight-loss plan, fruits aren't a bad group to pick. According to the USDA's MyPyramid.gov, the dietary fiber present in most fruits helps reduce risks of constipation and high cholesterol and encourages lasting feelings of fullness, which can aid safe weight loss. Eating more servings of fruit every day also has the potential to reduce your risk of serious health conditions, including kidney stones, heart attack, diabetes, bone loss, stroke and cancer.
Nutrition Facts
Although many fruits are naturally low in calories, making them conducive for weight loss, not all are. If you graze on fruit throughout the day or throw a bunch of pieces of fresh fruit into a smoothie, you may end up eating more calories than you intended. According to the USDA, a cup of watermelon pieces has about 45 calories, a cup of raspberries has about 60, a navel orange has 70, a medium apple has 95 and a medium banana has 105.
Balance
The National Institutes of Health notes that the only proven way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn over an extended period of time, and one of the healthiest ways to do so is by following a varied, low-calorie diet. Eating mainly fruits and excluding or severely limiting other food groups is not likely to provide your body with all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs. That's why the NIH recommends reducing portion sizes and cutting calories while still having daily servings of vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean proteins and whole grains.
Considerations
According to CNN.com nutrition specialist Dr. Melina Jampolis, fruits have approximately three times the calorie count per serving as nonstarchy vegetables, and eating too many of them can actually cause you to gain weight rather than lose it. Jampolis recommends limiting the fruit you eat to three servings per day. Before you begin any fruit-based diet or make significant changes to the way you currently eat, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian for personalized advice.
Member Comments