Leslie, why is fruit getting a bad reputation? Isn't it a healthy food?
Yes, fruit is very nutritious. It's a great source of fibre, potassium, vitamin C, and folate, nutrients that help guard against disease. A diet rich in fruit has been linked to lower rates of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cataract, macular degeneration and type 2 diabetes.
The controversy revolves around the sugar and calories in fruit. Fruit contains carbohydrate mainly from the natural sugar, fructose.
Some claim that getting too much carbohydrate from fruit can prevent weight loss, or worse, make you gain weight.
That's true if you eat a dozen apples every day, which would add 1140 calories to your diet!! But most people don't even get the minimum recommended intake of fruit.
How does fruit stack up when it comes to calories and sugar? Are some higher than others?
Yes, some do have more sugar and calories – dried fruit are higher because they have the water removed. The highest calorie fruit is avocado. One avocado has 322 calories, mostly from fat not sugar. Most fruits range from 70 to 100 calories per serving. Compared to a serving of many types of vegetables that's triple the calories. For example, one cup of broccoli has 30 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrate.
Calories Carbohydrate (g)
- 1 apple: 95 calories, 25 carbohydrates (6 tsp. worth of sugar)
- 1 avocado: 322 calories, 17 carbohydrates
- 1 banana: 105 calories, 27 carbohydrates
- 1 cup blueberries: 84 calories, 21 carbohydrates
- 1 grapefruit: 74 calories, 18 carbohydrates
- 2 kiwifruit: 84 calories, 20 carbohydrates
- 1 orange: 86 calories, 21 carbohydrates
- 1/4 cup raisins: 08 calories, 28 carbohydrates (7 teaspoons worth of sugar)
So should some people limit their fruit intake?
People who are trying to lose weight should limit fruit to two to three servings per day. People with pre-diabetes and diabetes also need to limit fruit intake in order to prevent large rises in blood sugar. And people with high blood triglycerides (fat) also need to keep fruit to two or three servings per day. That's because too much sugar from any source – including fruit – can contribute to high triglycerides.
Okay, tell us some of the healthiest fruits to eat?
All fruit is healthy, but some outshine others in certain areas.
Top 5 fruits for weight loss
Choose those that have a high water content. More water means less calories so you can eat more and get fewer calories. These fruits also hydrate your body better than others.
- Strawberries (92% water by weight)
- Grapefruit (91% water)
- Cantaloupe (90% water)
- Pineapple (87% water)
- Orange (87% water)
Top 5 fruits for blood sugar control
Those with a low glycemic index. These fruits are released as blood sugar gradually, rather than quickly. Most fruits have a low or medium glycemic index; there are only a few that are high on the glycemic index scale. Some low glycemic fruit include:
- Apples
- Pears
- Grapes
- Nectarines
- Dried apricots
Top 5 fruits for fibre
If you want to boost your fibre intake, these fruits are some of your top picks:
- Blackberries (8 grams per cup!)
- Pear
- Plums
- Papayas
- Raisins
Top fruits for antioxidants
When it comes to antioxidant, berries outshine all other fruit. Berries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins; these compounds are what give berries their deep red/blue colour. The best sources are:
- Blackberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Pomegranate
