Fruit and Weight Loss? How Much Should You Eat?
How much fruit is OK to eat?
How much is too much?
Can I lose weight if I eat fruit?
These are questions I get asked every day, so I thought that I would write a blog post to clear this confusion - based on science of course.
The main reason for this confusion is because fruit is relatively high in sugar compared to other whole foods, so I will break this down for you.
โSugarโ is bad, but the context is important...
We all know that added sugar is harmful to our health, and there is a lot of evidence to support this. By added sugar I'm talking about table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup - both of which are half glucose and half fructose.
When fructose is consumed in large amounts (as it is in these added sugars), this is when it is harmful to us as it causes extremely negative metabolic effects and promotes the build up of fat around our liver and organs.
But there is only a VERY SMALL AMOUNT of fructose found in whole fruits compared to sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup in processed foods. It is difficult to overeat on fructose by eating whole fruits. Also, the sugar in fruit is digested slowly, as opposed to added sugars where they are quickly digested, which brings me to my next pointโฆ
Whole fruit contains important fiber, water, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
Whole fruits are amazing for our health as they contain lots of beneficial nutrients. They should definitely be consumed (in moderation) as part of a healthy lifestyle.
But I'm not going to bore you and talk about the benefits of these nutrients here, you can find hundreds of articles on google for this...
What I want you to understand is that most fruits take a while to digest, meaning that the fructose contained in the fruit hits the liver slowly. This is mainly due to their high fiber content. Fibre slows down digestion (and therefore the speed of sugar in to your blood).
When fructose hits your liver quickly and in large amounts (like it does with sugary sodas and candy bars) then that can have disastrous consequences. But, when it hits your liver slowly and in small amounts (from whole fruits) your body can easily take care of the fructose.
If you want to maximise the health effects of fruit, focus on the fruit with the greatest amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals compared to the sugar and calorie content. Refer to the image below to compare different fruits. Berries are the best!
Fruit isnโt as healthy if it is juiced or dried
Even though whole fruits are very healthy for most people, the same can not be said for fruit juices and dried fruit.
Many of the fruit juices on the market arenโt even โrealโ fruit. You can pretty much call them sugar water! They are often made from water, some sort of concentrate and a whole lot of added sugar.
Even if you do find a juice that is 100% real fruit, itโs probably still not a great idea to consume often.
The amount of sugar in juice can be the same as a soft drink.
This is because many serves of fruit go into one juice and the fiber has been taken out. What does this mean? The liquid (containing a large amount of sugar) is digested fast and consequently is sent to your liver fast. And, when this amount of sugar is sent to the liver, it is likely to be turned to fat as it cannot metabolise this large amount of fructose at once.
Also, consuming liquid calories has very little affect on satiety (keeping you full) so you end up eating far more than you would if you ate the fruit whole.
Think of juice as an occasional option, but in general, always opt for whole fruits.
Having a homemade juice that is mainly greens though, with a little fruit is OK! Ie something like celery, spinach, cucumber, ginger and half an apple.
Dried fruits (like raisins) can be problematic too. They are very high in sugar and it is easy to consume large amounts of them right?
What about when it comes to weight loss?
Fruit should be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet by everyone. It is when we get down to the nitty gritty of weight loss that we need to look at it a bit more closely. Also, like any food, of course there is a limit to how much you can eat.
If you are substituting fruit for other sweet snacks (like chocolate, lollies, cake or biscuits) then of course it is an incredible swap. These "discretionary" foods come with a huge amount of calories and sugar and lack any vitamins and minerals. By eating fruit instead you are saving yourself excess calories and providing your body with plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber to keep you full and as a result eat less. These are amazing benefits and will help you drop weight easily.
It is only when you already have an other wise healthy, whole-food based diet yet you still struggle with your weight, that you may want to start to limit your fruit intake.
Low carbohydrate diets work AMAZINGLY for lots of us. We can all tolerate different amounts of carbs - and fruit is high in carbs. If you can eat carbs and stay slim and happy then great! You are one of the lucky ones...
However, if lowering your carb intake helps you lose weight then fruit restriction may be important and will definitely amplify the process. I personally stick to a low carb lifestyle and so limit my fruit intake to around 1/2 cup to 1 cup of berries (and lots of veggies) which works best for me. Because I specialise in weight loss and recommend low carb diets to many of my clients, I also recommend berries as the main fruit of choice, with other whole fruits included for occasional consumption.
So, what do I recommend and how much should you eat?
At the end of the day, fruits are โrealโ foods - they are highly nutritious and so fulfilling that eating them can help you feel more satisfied with less food.
If you eat lots of sugary foods, ditch them and replace it with whole fruits. Chances are you will drop weight and your health will improve in numerous ways.
If you can tolerate fruit and youโre not on a low-carb diet then go ahead and eat fruit as part of a healthy, real food based diet that includes lots of plant-based foods. If you feel that you can maintain or lose weight quite easily and fruit doesn't effect this, then I recommend 2 serves of (whole) fruit per day.
If you struggle to lose weight and need an extra "push" then reducing your fruit intake can be very beneficial (after you have already cut out all other sugars first and reduced your carbohydrate intake). I recommend only eating berries and just sticking to one serving per day (around 1 cup max), as I mentioned above.
To learn more about my lower carb approach and the plan that is helping women slim down without the hunger (AND keep it off), click here!๏ปฟ
I also clear your confusion and talk about this topic on my Instagram IGTV channel! Be sure to definitely check it out!
Is fruit good for us? What about the sugar?
Watch me discuss all on my IGTV video!
I hope this cleared the confusion for you!
If you struggle to lose weight, despite trying every diet under the sun and want to try a lower carb approach which controls fruit intake, be sure to check out my signature 3 Week Body Reset! Itโs helping thousands of women worldwide slim down without the hunger.
Bec Miller, Founder Health with Bec