Eating too much of any one food, even a fruit, can interfere with your weight-loss efforts. Bananas contain less water and have a higher calorie content than most other fruits, so consume them in moderation to avoid packing on too many calories.
Caloric Balance
To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume, forcing your body to rely on stored fat for energy. For every pound you want to lose, you'll need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume over a period of days. Every calorie counts, so choose low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods. One medium banana has 110 calories, more calories than a serving of most other fruits, except apples. Limiting your intake of bananas and choosing lower-calorie fruits may benefit your weight loss efforts.
Energy Density
Foods with high energy density have a lot of calories in a small amount of food, while foods with low energy density have few calories in a large amount of food. When you're trying to lose weight, choosing low-energy-density foods can allow you to fill up and meet your nutritional needs while remaining within your calorie limits. Bananas have a higher energy density than many fruits, making them a less than ideal choice for weight loss diets. Fruits with higher water content, such as grapefruit and watermelon, have much lower energy density, meaning you can eat larger amounts of these foods for fewer calories. Half a medium grapefruit, a fruit with about 90 percent water, has only 60 calories, and a 2-cup serving of diced watermelon, a fruit with 92 percent water, has only 80 calories.
Nutrient Density
Choosing nutrient-dense, low-calorie fruits can help you meet your nutritional needs while trying to lose weight. Bananas provide good sources of potassium, with 450 mg per serving, but they contain little vitamin A or vitamin C. Many lower-calorie fruits provide better sources of these nutrients. For example, a 50-calorie serving of cantaloupe, or about a quarter of a medium cantaloupe, provides 240 mg of potassium, 120 percent of your recommended daily vitamin A intake and 80 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. A 50-calorie serving of strawberries, or about 8 medium strawberries, provides 170 mg of potassium and 160 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C. A 60-calorie serving of grapefruit, or half a medium grapefruit, provides 160 mg of potassium, 35 percent of your recommended daily vitamin A intake and 100 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake.
Recommended Fruit Intake
Don't cut fruit out of your diet entirely during your efforts to lose weight. Fruits and vegetables provide essential nutrients, and diets rich in these foods may reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends consuming at least nine servings, or about 4½ cups, of fruits and vegetables per day. Choosing more vegetables than fruits, and more low-calorie fruits than bananas, can help you stay within your calorie limits.
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