Fruits for Weight Loss: Which Ones Are Best?
Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, RDN
Fruits provide a high nutritional value, and research shows that eating fruit daily can help you lose weight.
Because fruits are high in fiber and water, they help you feel full, making you less likely to overeat. Grapefruit, apples, avocados, and watermelon are some of the best fruits to support weight loss plans.
This article discusses the best fruits for weight loss and how to incorporate them into your diet.
Andrii Zastrozhnov / Getty Images
Eating Fruit for Weight Loss: Which Are Best?
Fruits are high in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are good for overall health. They are generally 80% to 90% water. The natural sugars in fruits can help satisfy sweet cravings, while the fiber promotes digestive health. The high fiber and water content helps you feel full, so you'll likely eat less.
Takeaway
Many fruits are promoted as "superfoods," or foods rich in nutrients, because they can affect health and illness prevention in positive ways. These foods should be part of a balanced diet that includes various fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and lean protein.
Fruits Lower on the Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly carbohydrates break down and affect blood glucose (sugar) levels. High GI foods digest quickly and tend to spike blood sugar. Lower GI foods, such as fruits, digest slowly, which helps prevent those blood sugar spikes and keeps you feeling full longer. Lower GI fruits tend to be low in calories and high in fiber and water, which can help with weight management. Some of these are:
Grapefruit: Half a grapefruit has 53 calories, 12 grams (g) of sugar, almost 2 g of fiber, and is 91% water. Research suggests eating fresh grapefruit can help with weight loss.
Apples: A medium apple has 95 calories, 19 g of sugar, and 3 g of fiber. High-fiber, low-GI foods like apples can lessen blood sugar spikes and help manage weight.
Avocados: A medium-sized avocado has about 240 calories. However, avocados have very little sugar, only about 0.4 g per fruit. Eating avocados regularly is associated with a lower prevalence of excess weight and helps reduce weight gain.
Pears: A medium pear has 100 calories, 17 g of sugar, and 5.5 g of fiber. They are among the best high-fiber, low-GI foods to prevent blood sugar spikes and weight gain.
Raspberries: A cup of raspberries has about 64 calories, 5 g of sugar, 8 g of fiber, and about 86% water. The high-fiber, low-calorie combo helps control hunger and weight.
Oranges: One orange has about 62 calories, 12 g of sugar, and 3 g of fiber. It's also about 87% water. Citrus flavonoids could be helpful in the management of obesity.
Strawberries: In a cup of strawberries, you'll get about 53 calories, 8 g of sugar, and 3 g of fiber, with a water content of 91%.
Bananas: One medium banana has about 105 calories, 14 g of sugar, and 3 g of fiber and is about 75% water. Research suggests that bananas are associated with less weight gain, but the association isn't as strong as for apples, pears, and berries.
Peaches: A medium peach has about 59 calories, 13 g of sugar, and 2 g of fiber, with a water content of 89%.
Cantaloupe: One cup of cantaloupe has approximately 60 calories, 14 g of sugar, and 2 g of fiber, and they're over 90% water.
Kiwi: In one kiwifruit, you'll get about 42 calories, 6 g of sugar, and 2 g of fiber. It has a water content of 84%. Studies suggest that kiwifruit can be helpful in weight management.
Fruits Higher on Glycemic Index
Some fruits are higher on the glycemic index but can still support weight management if eaten in moderation.
A one-cup serving of watermelon has about 46 calories and 9 g of sugar. It's also about 92% water but has less than a gram of fiber. That high water content can help curb hunger for several hours, and watermelon is a healthy alternative to processed snacks. Eating watermelon instead of low-fat cookies daily for four weeks was associated with lower body weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and waist-to-hip ratio.
A one-cup serving of pineapple has about 83 calories, 16 g of sugar, and 2 g of fiber, plus it's 86% water. It may be higher on the GI, but it is effective in helping you feel full and is a healthy alternative to processed sweet snacks.
Are Some Fruits Less Ideal for Weight Loss?
Some fruits are fine in small portions but less than ideal for weight loss. For example:
Dried fruit without added sugars is a healthy snack. But they pack many more calories and much more natural sugars into a much smaller portion. It's easy to overeat dried fruit, interfering with weight loss plans. And some dried fruit contains added sugars.
Fruit juices usually have higher sugar concentrations than whole fruits, which can spike your blood glucose levels. It's easy to take in a lot of extra calories through juices.
Canned or frozen fruit makes a healthy snack, but those packed in heavy syrup or with added sugars can sabotage weight management.
How to Eat Fruit for Weight Loss
If weight loss is your goal, simply adding fruit won't be helpful. Instead, use fruit as a substitute for sweets and other high-calorie foods with little nutritional value. Weight loss depends on taking in fewer calories than you burn. Most adults should aim for 1.5 to 2.5 cups of fruit daily.
There's no evidence that eating fruit at a particular time of day helps with weight loss. But whole fruit is the most likely to satisfy hunger and keep blood sugar from spiking. Here are some ways to enjoy these fruits:
Eat whole, fresh fruit as a snack.
Try unsweetened canned or frozen fruit.
Add a side of fruit with meals (a healthy substitute for fries).
Add fruit to foods such as cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, and muffins.
Make fruit smoothies, ideally with whole fruits, and be mindful of other high-calorie ingredients.
It's usually best not to overeat any food, but it's hard for most people to overdo fruit. On the other hand, too much fiber can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort. And an all-fruit diet can leave you with nutritional deficiencies.
Fruit should be part of an overall balanced diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean protein, and regular exercise. No single food alone can help you target weight loss in a specific body area.
Summary
Most fruits are nutrient-dense and good for overall health. Because they're high in water and fiber but low in fat and calories, they can help you manage your weight. Fruit alone won't help you lose weight, though. If the goal is to lose weight, choose fruit to replace calorie-dense sweets and processed foods.
Fruit should be part of a varied diet that includes vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
