A single gene differentiates the nectarine from its fuzzy-skinned kin, the peach. Smooth-skinned nectarines have yellow or white flesh and are usually smaller and redder than peaches. These juicy fruits ripen on trees from June through August, consequently making their appearance in produce aisles across America throughout the summer season. Like most fruits, nectarines provide an array of nutritional benefits when included in a healthy eating plan.
Nutritional Profile
A medium-size nectarine contains 0 g of fat, according to LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate. This means that the USDA classifies nectarines as a fat-free food. Providing 16 g of total carbohydrates per serving, a nectarine contains 2 g of filling dietary fiber as well as 1 g of protein. With only 70 calories per medium-size fruit, a single nectarine is not likely to contribute to fat or weight gain.
Fat Gain
Just because a food item is fat free does not mean that it cannot potentially be fattening. If you eat more calories daily than your body needs, your body will store that caloric overage as fat, regardless of your diet's fat content. However, when eaten as part of a calorie-conscious healthy eating plan, nectarines are a superb choice for preventing fat gain, as are most high-fiber, low-fat and low-calorie foods.
Fiber for Fat Reduction
The 2 g of dietary fiber in a nectarine might actually help prevent you from overeating and gaining fat. Fibrous foods tend to be more filling than foods lacking fiber, and they also encourage weight-loss efforts just because they take longer to chew, as noted on MayoClinic.com. If you chew longer, your brain has more time to process fullness signals from your stomach, potentially reducing your total caloric intake per meal.
Additional Benefits
Replacing high-calorie snacks and desserts with low-calorie fruits like nectarines can enhance your weight-loss efforts. Substituting fruit for fattening foods might also increase your intake of essential antioxidants. Nectarines provide 15 percent of the US Food and Drug Administration's Daily Value, or DV, of vitamin C, 8 percent of the DV for vitamin A and 2 percent of the DV for iron.
References
- University of Illinois Extension hortanswers: Tree Fruit -- Nectarine
- LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate: Nectarine (Dole)
- US Food and Drug Administration: 9. Appendix A -- Definitions of Nutrient Content Claims
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fiber -- Essential for a Healthy Diet
- Produce for Better Health Foundation: Nectarine -- Nutrition, Selection, Storage
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