This is a great time of year – the weather is great, it’s a lot easier to be more active, and it’s also a great time to enjoy food (especially since many fruits and vegetables are in-season, and taste better than ever). I love fruits, but today I want to talk about the role that fruits can play in helping or hurting your weight loss goals.
Fruits have always been thought of as “healthy”, and they certainly are. Fruits are packed full of an amazing array of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals – some of which can help us prevent cancer. On the other hand, fruits also contain a good helping of carbohydrates and sugar, especially fructose.
For the overwhelming majority of my patients, I find that they have no problem getting enough fruit servings in their diet. I’ve actually noticed the opposite – many people are having too many fruit servings per day. As with many things, balance is the key – and having too many fruits can be problematic as well.
For a healthy diet, and especially for weight loss, I always recommend that one’s sugar intake needs to be reduced. Most people will start eliminating junk foods that contain a lot of sugar, but their fruit intake often remains quite high. I think what tends to happen here is that a lot of people are underestimating the sugar and carbohydrate content that is found in fruits.
For example, having 1 medium apple and 1 banana will provide you with almost 50 grams of carbohydrates (which is quite high for a couple of fruits).
Problem #1 – fruits are usually consumed as a snack, so this extra sugar/carbohydrate content is on top of what you consumed in your meals.
Problem #2 – many people are having far too many fruit servings every day.
Problem #3 – many people typically consume the fruits that have the highest sugar and carbohydrate content.
I thought I’d provide a list of some common fruits that tend to have a lower carbohydrate and sugar content.
Watermelon – 1/2 cup of watermelon contains 5.5 grams of carbs.
Strawberries – 1/2 cup of strawberries contains 6.5 grams of carbs.
Cantaloupe – 1/2 cup of cantaloupe contains 6.5 grams of carbs.
Avocado – 1/2 cup of avocado contains 6.5 grams of carbs.
Cranberries – 1/2 cup of cranberries contain 6.5 grams of carbs.
Blackberries – 1/2 cup of blackberries contains 7.0 grams of carbs.
Plums – 1 medium plum contains 7.5 grams of carbs.
Raspberries – 1/2 cup of raspberries contains 7.5 grams of carbs.
Honeydew Melon – 1/2 cup of honeydew melon contains 8.0 grams of carbs.
Clementine – 1 medium clementine contains 9.0 grams of carbs.
Grapefruit – 1/2 medium grapefruit contains 10.5 grams of carbs.
Pineapple – 1/2 cup of pineapple contains 11 grams of carbs.
Blueberries – 1/2 cup of blueberries contains 11 grams of carbs.
Kiwi Fruit – 1 medium kiwi contains 11 grams of carbs.
Cherries – 1/2 cup of cherries contains 11 grams of carbs.
Tangerines – 1 medium tangerine contains 12 grams of carbs.
Mango – 1/2 cup sliced mango contains 14 grams of carbs.
Peaches – 1 medium peach contains 14.5 grams of carbs.
Oranges – 1 medium orange contains 15.5 grams of carbs.
Nectarines – 1 medium nectarine contains 15 grams of carbs.
Keep in mind two important points:
1) Serving sizes matter, so pay attention to these.
2) Some fruits have less sugar/carbs than others, so you can make some smarter choices with respect to fruit intake.
Thank you for reading,
Dr. Michael Morsillo, H.B.Sc., N.D.
Newmarket Naturopathic Doctor
905-898-1844 ext. 135
dr.morsillo@gmail.com
www.drmorsillo.com
Reference:
Lindquist, Shannon. “Low Carb Fruits – 15 Grams Or Less Per Serving”. 2016. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/low_carb_fruits_15_grams_or_less_per_serving (14 Aug. 2017)