Fruits are among the most beneficial foods in any diet and are critical to good health, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Fruits have generous amounts of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, which help protect against disease. They also have a very low caloric density, which means they can be useful for weight loss and weight management. Comparison of the caloric contents of fruits is not exact unless it's on an ounce for ounce basis. Most often, though, that's not how people think of the serving size of a fruit, so caloric content is usually listed according to number of pieces, the size of the fruit or in measurements like cups. Even then, values are only approximate.
Low-Calorie Fresh
Many fruits have less than 50 calories for a typical serving size. Carambola, also known as starfruit, has only 20 calories per half-cup serving. Fifteen cherries have about 25 calories; 1/2 cup of cranberries has 23 calories; a half grapefruit has 35; a medium plum has 36; a medium peach or medium tangerine has 37; and a cup of strawberries has 45.
Medium-Calorie Fresh
Fruits with a somewhat higher caloric content include watermelon (1 cup, 51 calories), apricots (three medium, 51), pomegranate (one half medium, 52 calories), cantaloupe (1 cup, 56 calories), grapes (1 cup, 58 calories), raspberries (1 cup, 60 calories), and oranges (one medium, 62 calories).
Higher-Calorie Fresh
Still a great nutritional value but a little higher in caloric content are mangoes (one half medium, 67 calories), blackberries (1 cup, 75 calories) pineapple (1 cup, 76), blueberries (1 cup, 81), and apples (one medium, 81).
Highest-Calorie Fresh
The highest-calorie fruits include avocados, pears, bananas, and dates. Half an avocado contains approximately 130 calories. One medium pear has 98 calories, a medium banana has 105, and five medium dates have 114.
Dried and Canned Fruits
Dried and canned fruits contain more calories per ounce than fresh fruits. When fruits are dried, much of the water has been removed and the fruit becomes more nutritionally and calorically dense. Forty grams of raisins, for example, contain 130 calories, whereas 40 grams of grapes have only 40 calories. A quarter cup of dried plums has 110 calories versus 19 calories for fresh. Find out the calories in canned fruits simply by looking on the Nutrition Facts label. Fruits canned with added sugar will be much higher in calories than fruits without sugar added.
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