What makes you gain a few extra pounds is eating too many calories, no matter what form they are eaten in.
If you are watching your weight, you may think that reaching for fruit is a good choice when the mood to snack hits you. After all, look at everything positive you hear about fruit “ your body needs three to five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. And fruit is healthy and good for you. It’s low in fat and full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. But fruits in general are high in sugar, and sometimes fruits are processed in such a way that their sugar content is actually increased. Of course, it’s better to eat your sugar as a fruit instead of in a Hershey’s bar, but you still need to be careful not to overload on any type of sugar, especially if you are dieting or watching your weight. For the facts on whether fruit can make you fat, see below.
Avoid the juice.
Juice is fruit that no longer has any fiber or nutrients, and this makes it fattening. Instead of a glass of orange juice with breakfast, why not try some orange slices instead? Or any piece of fruit, which will provide your diet with fiber and nutrition without making you fat.
Don’t go tropical.
Fruit can hurt your diet rather than help it because of its high sugar content, and tropical fruits are the worst offenders. These fattening choices are higher in both sugar and carbohydrates than their less exotic counterparts. Skip the mangos and choose raspberries, blackberries and strawberries instead. Pomegranates, cherries and bananas are also very high in sugar, which can make you fat.
Don’t dry out.
Dried fruits are another fattening choice. Raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots and other such fruits are one stop short of candy. A bowl of raisins has the same amount of sugar as a bowl of jelly beans. Ouch! Choose to snack on an entire cup of strawberries for about fifty calories instead, and skip the fattening dried fruits and go with fresh.
That said, dried apricots are a great source of beta carotene, and bananas have lots of potassium. Guava, a tropical fruit that is very high in sugar, has lots of fiber and Vitamin E. Don’t sacrifice good nutrition for the sake of losing weight, just keep yourself informed and make wise choices!
