Include Fruit In Your Diet, Just Control Calorie Count

Weight watchers often think they can snack on fresh fruit at will and still peel off the pounds. Not so.

A serving of fruit on most weight-loss or maintenance plans provides about 60 calories. That’s about the same as a slice of bread, half a small bagel, or a Fig Newton. We know we can’t eat those endlessly, and it’s the same with fresh fruit. Balance and portion control are key here.

It’s important to include fruit in your weight management plan, especially when it’s fully ripe, fragrant and sensually satisfying. The natural sugars easily satisfy a sweet tooth. And fruit’s fiber, vitamins and minerals make it a nutritional powerhouse.

Most weight management plans include two or three servings of fruit each day for women, and three to five a day for men. But what is a serving? The short answer is 4 ounces of juice, half a cup of chopped fruit, or one piece of fresh fruit.

Now comes the hard part. How big is a piece?

Fruit is funny because different fruits have different sweetness levels and different calorie counts. And even the same kind of fruit comes in different sizes.

Take peaches, for example. Red Havens are medium, about 2 inches across and 3 or 4 inches deep. That’s a serving. Lorings are twice as big. That’s two servings. And have you really looked at bananas lately? They range from the size of your finger to large enough to equal three servings. A small banana (about 4 ounces, peeled) is a serving.

Generally, if you stick to one small piece of fruit, you’re in the ballpark. But for those of you who like to know exactly, the chart below will give you all the details.

On the human side, however, some of us find it hard to stick to severe limits when the fruit is fresh and succulent. It makes no sense to pass up the best fruit of the year to accommodate your old, winterized eating plan. So exercise a little more and eat less meat and fat.

If you’re eating more than 4 or 5 ounces of meat, chicken or fish daily, cut back. Get your fat down to about 40 grams a day for women, or 50 grams for men, and make room for fruit.

Serving sizes

Fruit servings should be about 60 calories (15 grams carbohydrate). Here’s the amount of various fruits that makes up a serving:

Apricots - 4 whole.

Bananas - 1 small.

Blackberries - 3/4 cup.

Blueberries - 3/4 cup.

Cantaloupe - 1 cup of cubes.

Cherries - 12.

Grapes - 17 small.

Honeydew melon - 1 cup cubes.

Kiwi - 1.

Mango - 1/2 cup.

Nectarine - 1 small.

Peach - 1 medium.

Plums - 2 small.

Raspberries - 1 cup.

Strawberries - 1-1/4 cup cubes.

Watermelon - 1-1/4 cup cubes.