Nutrition Nugget: Concerned about Fruit? I’ve got you covered.
Bite-Size Reads for Your Health and Your Waistline
Has someone ever admonished you for eating fruit because it contains sugar? Did you leave the conversation even more confused than when it began? A lot of us have had that same interaction with friends, family members, even strangers. I am here to clarify why fruit isn’t entirely as bad as some people think and to provide you with some tips and tricks for how to get the most nutritional value possible.
No matter what, don’t lose your common sense! This might be the most important thing to remember when it comes to food selection. If someone were to hand you a candy bar or an apple and ask which is healthier, I sure hope you would choose the apple. FYI, no one died from eating too many apples!
Here are some rules of thumb to stick to when reaching for those little, sugary gifts from nature.
1. Stick to whole fruits. Avoid the juices.
In recent years there’s been a swing toward juices, even vegetable juices, for a quick, “nutrition-packed” breakfast or snack. In reality, juices strip the original fiber from the fruit which means this delicious sugar water (aka juice) spikes our blood sugar. Instead, if we choose to eat the whole fruit, our bodies are replenished with vitamins, minerals, water, and fiber.
2. Pay attention to ripeness.
Often, the glycemic impact (how much and how quickly a food raises our blood sugar) depends on the ripeness of the fruit. For example, eating a banana when it’s yellow with a little green is better for our blood sugar than if we wait until it has brown spots. Remember, our blood sugar indicates if we are in a fat-storage mode, which means this could be critical for you and your health goals.
3. Consider the serving size.
As Americans, we love to oversize our daily portions. More is more! Bigger is better! Right? For fruit, one serving is roughly one handful. Throughout the day, I recommend a general guideline of two of those handfuls. If you find yourself eating more than this, look into what you are eating, or not eating, for the rest of the day. Sometimes, we binge fruit because we are dehydrated and haven’t had enough water. Other times, we have not had enough protein which can lead to sugar cravings. Is fruit satisfying your sugar cravings? On the spectrum of options, this is great! And when you’re ready, you can take it a step further to look at other gaps in your nutrition causing such cravings.
4. Buying organic — simplified.
My general rule is to buy organic fruit when we’re eating the skin. If we are buying lemons or limes to squeeze, there is less of a necessity to take those extra measures. Also, when choosing these fruits, try to stick to medium-sized selections. Sometimes, there have been added chemicals that make fruit larger than they are supposed to be, and we want to steer clear of those as much as possible, aiming to consume the most natural produce.
Overall, I hope this encourages you to go to the grocery store and know that fruit is not the enemy! Allow yourself the peace of mind to make the best choices possible with the options presented and you will be on your way to living your happiest and healthiest life.
