The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 encourage the consumption of more plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables and fewer foods that give you undesirable nutrients like fat, sodium and sugar. Raspberries are high in fiber, low in calories and add valuable nutrients to your diet --- a smart food choice if losing weight is your goal.
Calories
Berries and other fruits tease your palate with a hint of sweetness without adding an exorbitant number of calories to your diet. Fresh raspberries have only 60 calories per cup --- the same number of calories as a cup of blackberries and around the same number of calories as a same-size serving of blueberries and sliced strawberries. Raspberries also have no cholesterol, no sodium and only 1 g fat. These are nutrients you want to consume at minimum to avoid health complications such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, reports MayoClinic.com.
Fiber
Dietary fiber, abundant in raspberries and other fruits and vegetables, makes you feel fuller longer so you don't feel the need to overeat. A cup of raspberries gives you 9 g fiber, or 36 percent of your daily value, or DV, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Harvard School of Public Health. Fiber also enhances your health; it prevents constipation and may reduce your risk for heart disease, colon cancer and diverticulitis. Harvard recommends that children and adults get at least 20 g of fiber a day; men and teenagers may need even more.
Nutrition
Raspberries contribute to your weight loss plan while providing essential nutrients you need. Raspberries are rich in vitamin C, which helps you maintain strong bones and teeth, encourages wound healing and helps your body produce proteins for healthy skin, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and other body tissues, reports MedlinePlus. All fruits and vegetables have some vitamin C, but raspberries are one of your best go-to berries for this nutrient. A cup of raspberries gives you 50 percent of your DV for vitamin C. You also get 4 percent of your DV for vitamin A and iron and 2 percent of your DV for calcium.
Diet
MayoClinic.com states that a 100-calorie snack can sate your appetite in between meals --- 1/2 cup of raspberries coupled with 1/2 cup of nonfat plain yogurt is one tasty, healthful option. Integrating low-calorie, low-fat foods into your diet helps with weight loss; however, your success ultimately depends on cutting excess calories from your diet and increasing your level of physical activity. MedlinePlus indicates that keeping an eye on portion sizes and reducing your intake of sugary beverages are also beneficial.
References
- MayoClinic.com: New Dietary Guidelines: How to Make Smart Choices; February 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Berries
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber: Start Roughing It
- MedlinePlus: Weight Control
- NutrientFacts.com: Nonfat Yogurt (Plain)
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Vitamin C; February 2011
Member Comments