Is Fruit Good Or Bad When Trying to Lose Weight

Is fruit good or bad when trying to lose weight? This is a question people ask often. My response is everything in moderation. Fruit is a carbohydrate and it contains calories like everything else. It is recommended that you get about 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit a day based on your calorie needs.

Fruit has many vitamins, minerals and fiber yet fairly low in calories compared to other things. Fruit is a great alternative to other calorie dense sweets and if that is an issue, replacing the sweets with fruit can help a person lose weight. Fruit contains water and fiber which helps with a person feel full longer. Cutting fruit out means losing out on so many benefits.

Raw sugars from fruits are slowly digested and burned at a steady rate. Thus, while fruit is high in sugar, such natural sugar should not be avoided. Some fruit is lower in sugars than others. Here is list to help you decipher.

Berries - Berries are, in general, the fruits lowest in sugar -- and also among the highest in antioxidants and other nutrients.
Summer Fruits - Melons, peaches, nectarines, and apricots are next in sugar-order.
Winter Fruits - Apples, pears, and citrus fruit are moderate in sugars.
Tropical Fruits - Pineapple, pomegranates, mangoes, bananas, and fresh figs are high in sugar (guava and papaya are lower than the others).
Dried Fruit - Dates, raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, and most other dried fruits are extremely high in sugar. Dried cranberries and blueberries would be lower, except that a lot of sugar is usually added to combat the tartness. Choose varieties that sugar is not added as well as sun-dried when possible.

I recommend a variety of fruit, but sticking with those that are lower in sugar can help you lose weight. Consuming fruit before workouts and for breakfast is another little trick.

Fruit can easily fit into a well balanced diet to promote weight loss. Pay attention to servings sizes, sugar content, and your diet as a whole.

For information on what counts as a cup of fruit check out: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/what/examples.html