Fruits are low-calorie foods that can help you stick to your diet when you have them as snacks, add them to meals or enjoy them as dessert in place of a high-fat, high-calorie cake or cookie. They also help you on your diet because fruit can suppress your appetite, helping you to eat less.
Thylakoids
Thylakoids, which are in all types of fruit, seem to suppress appetite, according to a December 2009 study in the journal "Phytotherapy Research." In the study, mice on a high-fat diet that were given thylakoid supplements had less of an appetite and had reduced weight gain and body fat gain compared to the mice on the high-fat diet without thylakoid supplementation.
Water Content
Fruit with a high water content is effective for suppressing your appetite. This type of fruit fills you up with the water and volume, but does not have many calories. For example, a grapefruit is made up of about 90 percent water. Other fruits with a high water content include watermelon, grapes and berries.
Fiber Content
Most fruits are a good source of fiber. Foods with fiber have volume and are also slow for your body to digest, so you feel full for a long time without eating too many calories. One cup of raspberries has 8 g of fiber, one medium-sized pear with the skin has 5.5 g and one medium-sized apple with the skin has 4.4 g. Bananas and oranges have less, with 3.1 g in a medium-sized one of each. Leave the skin on fruits to get the most fiber.
Considerations
If you are hungry, your body might need more nutrients. Make sure you get enough calories while on a diet. MedlinePlus recommends going no lower than 1,200 calories a day if you are a woman or 1,500 calories if you are a man, unless you are on a diet supervised by a doctor. If you do not eat enough, you will not provide your body with the nutrients it needs to carry out its daily functions.
References
- "Phytotherapy Research"; Thylakoids Suppress Appetite by Increasing Cholecystokinin Resulting in Lower Food Intake and Body Weight in High-Fat Fed Mice; R. Kohnke, et al.; December 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories; January 2011
- MayoClinic.com; High-Fiber Foods; November 2009
- MedlinePlus: Tips for Losing Weight
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