Fruit: Weight Loss Friendly or Fattening?

Fruit Is Low in Calories and High in Nutrients.

It’s common knowledge that fruit is one of the staples of a healthy diet.

Fruit has even been associated with reduced risks of heart disease and diabetes.

However, it contains more natural sugars than other whole foods like vegetables. For this reason, many people question whether it’s good for your waistline.

Fruit is a nutrient-dense food, meaning it is low in calories but high in nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fiber. One large orange can meet 163% of your daily needs for vitamin C, an essential component of immune health.

On the other hand, a medium banana provides 12% of the potassium you need in a day, which helps regulate the activity of your nerves, muscles and heart.

Fruits are also high in antioxidants, which help protect the body from oxidative stress and may lower the risk of certain chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes.

What’s more, they also contain fiber, which can promote regularity, improve gut health and increase feelings of fullness and because fruits are low in calories, including them in your diet may help decrease your daily calorie intake.

For example, one small apple contains just 77 calories, yet provides nearly 4 grams of fiber, which is up to 16% of the amount you need for the day.

Other fruits are similarly low in calories. For instance, a half cup (74 grams) of blueberries contains 42 calories, while a half cup (76 grams) of grapes provides 52 calories.

Using low-calorie foods like fruit to replace higher-calorie foods can help create a calorie deficit, which is necessary for weight loss.

A calorie deficit occurs when you expend more calories than you take in. This forces your body to use up stored calories, mostly in the form of fat, which causes weight loss.

Fruit is high in fiber and water, which may help increase fullness and decrease appetite.

Snacking on whole fruits instead of high-calorie candies, cookies and chips can significantly reduce calorie intake and promote weight loss.

But try sticking to whole fruits instead of fruit juice or dried fruit.

Dried fruit is very nutritious, but it is also higher in calories and sugar than fresh varieties, so make sure to moderate your portions.

While whole fruit is low in calories and a good source of fiber, the same is not necessarily true of fruit juice. In the process of juice-making, juice is extracted from the fruit, leaving behind its beneficial fiber and providing a concentrated dose of calories and sugar.

Fruit juice is high in calories and sugar but low in fiber. Drinking fruit juice has been associated with weight gain and obesity.