Enjoying fruit is a fantastic way to quell your sweet tooth while also eating in a way that helps you feel your best. With all the different diet advice available in today's digital world, it can be tough to figure out how much fruit you should be eating. Good news, produce lovers: it's very hard to get too much fruit in your diet, and most Americans don't get nearly enough. While fruit does have natural sugars, it also provides a wide variety of health benefits. Dietitians and researchers recommend that about a quarter of your daily calories come from fruit, leaving plenty of room for you to enjoy fruit at every meal. Here, we'll explore how much fruit you need to stay healthy, and how you can incorporate the expert-recommended amount of fruit into your daily nutrition plan.
Nutritional benefits of fruit
Fruit provides a wide variety of nutrients, including:
- Potassium: Watermelon, dried apricots, and bananas all provide high levels of potassium, which can help to regulate blood pressure and prevent post-exercise cramping.
- Fiber: Fiber helps to support a healthy digestive system, lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, and lower unhealthy cholesterol levels. If you're working to lose weight, you'll likely find that enjoying plenty of fiber in your diet can help you stay satiated throughout the day.
- Vitamin C: This immune-system-boosting powerhouse is especially plentiful in summer fruits, including strawberries, oranges, and mangoes.
- Folate: Especially important for pregnant women, folate (often sold as a supplement known as folic acid) can support cardiovascular health, and can help your body utilize the protein that you get from food sources.
Understanding sugar content in fruit
The skin and pulp in fruit contain high levels of fiber, which helps to slow down your digestion, allowing you to feel satiated. This can help to counteract the effect of naturally-occurring sugars in fruit. An important note: enjoying whole fruits provides far more health benefits than drinking fruit juice. Fiber is removed during the juicing process. This means that you're missing out on the benefits of whole fruit.
If you prefer drinking fruit, it's a good idea to blend up a smoothie, rather than drinking fruit juice. Smoothies still contain the fiber that you would get from whole fruit, allowing you to enjoy all the benefits of nature's candy.
Recommended daily servings of fruit
Dietitians recommend that you enjoy at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Recent research showed that the most effective combination was eating two servings of fruit plus three servings of vegetables each day.
Making minor changes can make the process of incorporating fruit into your between-meal snacks easier. Enjoying a sliced apple on top of your morning oatmeal, or adding some sliced strawberries to your salad at lunch can help you easily boost the amount of fruit that you get each day.
Balancing fruit with other food groups
It's important to eat fruit as a part of balanced meals to help you feel your best. When you can, eating fruit with protein can help to further slow the digestive process and help you feel fuller for longer.
Try these simple ideas to incorporate fruit into your day:
- Top Greek yogurt with fresh berries, or enjoy a sliced apple with peanut butter alongside a plate of scrambled eggs for breakfast.
- Try adding thinly sliced apples to your sandwich for an extra crunch at lunch, or have a handful of berries to add some sweetness to your salad.
- Chop up a fresh and fun mango salsa to serve on top of grilled fish at dinner, or try some fresh fruit on top of a scoop of frozen yogurt at dinner.
Myths about fruit consumption debunked
Eating too much fruit sugar can contribute to certain health issues, including weight gain, diabetes, complications with certain health conditions like pancreatic issues, dental issues, and vitamin deficiencies. That being said, if you're eating a generally healthy and balanced diet, it's unlikely that you'll experience health issues due to fruit consumption.
There are also myths around fruit and weight loss. Many people who are working to improve their eating habits have questions about whether it's OK to eat fruit due to its high carbohydrate and sugar content. Unless you need a specific, low-carb diet plan according to your personal health needs, you can enjoy fruit as a part of many different weight loss plans.
Tips for incorporating fruit into a balanced diet
Keeping grab-and-go fruits on-hand (like bananas, clementines, apples, grapes, and other options that don't require a knife or other preparation) can make it easier to enjoy fruit as a part of your daily diet. Pre-slicing and storing fruits that require preparation (like cantaloupe, watermelon, dragonfruit, etc.) can make it easier to get a wide variety of produce.
Using a health tracker can help you keep an eye on how much added and natural sugar you're consuming, making it easier for you to eat in a way that's aligned with your goals. Since the sugar in fruit is processed differently than added sugars, you may find that your cravings for sweets decrease as you amp up your fruit consumption.
Evidation: Making the most of the health data you're already tracking
Whether you're working to lose fat, gain muscle, simply improve your overall wellness, or you have another health goal, the team at Evidation is here to help. When you choose to share health data with the Evidation app, our algorithm works to provide you with personalized, content-based insights that will help you make the decisions that move your health forward. No matter where you are in your health journey, Evidation can help you get where you'd like to go.
We're excited to support you as you move forward to achieve your health and wellness goals. Click here to learn more about Evidation and get started with our free app today.
