Should You Avoid Fruits While Dieting?

Can snacking on fresh fruit really ruin your weight-loss progress? Find out what experts have to say.

Are fruits a saviour or a skip in your quest to lose weight? (Photo: iStockphoto)

From smoothies to breads and muffins and on their own, fruits are a healthy eater’s dream food. But eating fruits while dieting has always been controversial - the internet is cluttered with articles claiming that fruits can ruin your weight loss progress while a ton of nutritionists allow weight watchers to eat any fruits they want.

The lack of consensus is enough for anyone to go, well bananas!

We decided to get the verdict out on whether fruits are the reason for that extra padding on your belly or just an innocent bystander.

You will love to read:

Why Fruits Might Hinder Weight Loss

While fruits are an important part of any diet, learning how many fruits to eat each day can help you balance your nutrient intake properly (Photo: iStockphoto)

Carbs have been the bad guys for the last couple of decades. Watermelon, pineapple, banana, cold drinks, rasgulla, gulab jamun all have very different kinds of carbohydrates but they are often clubbed together as ‘evil’.

This confusion stems from the fact that most fruits can spike your blood sugar levels. Each time you eat a fruit, your blood sugar levels rise and subsequently fall, and it is a well known fact that constant elevation of blood sugar levels can lead to weight gain. While this is a truth, its impact on your waistline is blown out of proportion, according to nutritionists.

Let’s be clear. Irrespective of dieting, any fruit is better than no fruit. Fruits are full of natural sugar-true, but they are also a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. How else will you get these essential elements to function if you cut down on fruits? 

<b>Kanchan Patwardhan, Nutrionist</b>

However, balance is the key.

Mostly people don’t realise how much they eat. When you’re trying to lose weight, portion size is everything. 3 to 4 servings of fruits as mini meals is what you should be eating, one serving is a little more than half a cup. In the calorie game, if you eat 5 mangoes a day, apart from your standard regular meals, you will get vitamins and fiber but also layers of weight.&nbsp;

<b>Purvi Duggal, Nutritionist</b>

Fruits are a double edged sword – they have multiple benefits but there might come a time in your weight loss journey when you might have to temporarily get rid of them to reach your goal.

Most fruits have almost three times the calories per serving as non-starchy vegetables, regardless of whether they are high in carbs or not, they have calories. I’ve come across so many people who think of fruits as ‘free-food’ and are unknowingly consuming heaps of extra calories. I recommend three servings of any seasonal, fresh fruits per day to my clients, as long as they know what a serving is.&nbsp;

<b>Neha Chaddha, </b><b>Nutritionist</b>

Clearly, a calorie is a calorie and fruits cannot be given the ‘eat as much as you want’ label if you are looking to drop the pounds.

Related Watch: This Is What 300 Calories Look Like, Think Twice Before You Eat!

Smart Ways To Enjoy Fruits & Still Lose Weight

When you gradually add in nutrient-dense, fiber-rich fruits in moderation, you simply stop having cravings. You run out of space in your belly for the old junk. Instead of craving, you feel full, fulfilled, and content.

Apples should be your go-to fruits, particularly if you are camping out on the couch! (Photo: The Quint)

Scan any list of so-called superfoods and you’ll find berries at the top. Reason? They’re low in calories, fat free and a good source of fiber and vitamins (Photo: The Quint)

Fruit contains fiber and cheese has protein, both of which help fill you up. For your evening snack, how about some pineapple slices with a single-serving of cheese? (Photo: The Quint)

There comes a time in everyone’s diet when they need to eat less. (Photo: The Quint)

BRB, rushing to get some fresh produce! Meanwhile you can also read if bananas are worth the hype and the calories.