Fruit: When Not to Eat It & When to Eat It

Fruit: When Not to Eat It & When to Eat It

When it comes to eating healthy and losing weight, what can be pretty frustrating for many is overcoming what the heck they should eat.  So many confusing messages on eliminating this, or adding that and what happens is most of us have this incredible overwhelming point where we’re just annoyed as heck who to believe.

Most fruits present a bit of a dilemma due to their high sugar content. Now, keep in mind that that fruit is natural and unprocessed, so it’s not as bad as the sugar you add to your coffee. Plus it comes along with a bunch of vitamins and nutrients, like fiber, that actually help slow down your digestion and thus decrease the possibility of that sugar being stored as fat.

But nevertheless, the sugar from fruit (aka fructose) can be a problem, especially if you eat too much fruit. It’s recommended that you get about 8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, but I would make sure that no more than 4 of those servings are fruit. You don’t want to overdo the sugar, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. The problem really comes down to the extra calories, and if you don’t burn off the sugar then obviously those calories will be stored as fat. Yay human digestive system!

What’s also really important to consider which most media never gets into is nutrition timing. Timing is important when it comes to eating fruit, so let’s take a look at when not to eat it and when to eat it…

When Should I Avoid Eating Fruit?

I always recommend not eating too much fruit later in the day, especially just before bed. Since fruit can be higher in calories and sugar, eating it before bed reduces the likelihood of burning it off during sleep.

That being said, if you need something sweet, it’s still better than going for a candy bar or a bowl of cereal or even ice cream. Late night snacking is a big issue for those of us trying to keep it toned and trim. So try as hard as you can to get out of the habit of needing anything sweet at all before bed, you’re way better off.

Instead the best choice is something high in protein, like one of these 5 Protein Rich Gym Snacks, to boost your metabolism and keep you feeling full.

When Should I Eat Fruit?

The best time to eat fruit is earlier in the day, to give yourself the opportunity to burn off the extra calories and prevent that sugar from being stored as fat. This is still a pretty general recommendation though, so if I had to get specific about it, I’d say the very best time is when you just wake up (to jumpstart your morning) or just before a workout, to give you some extra fuel.

Either way, the idea is to eat fruit (and any foods containing sugar) earlier so you can burn it off later. You’ll reap the nutritional benefits without packing on any extra weight.

Some of the best fruits to include in fat loss diet include apples, raspberries, blueberries, pomegranates, tomatoes, and grapefruit. All of these are great for boosting your metabolism and supporting a healthy immune system. I also really like bananas as a pre-workout snack, as they’re high in potassium for energy.

One of the best ways to include fruit in your diet is in a healthy smoothie. Check out these 7 Lip Smacking Smoothie Recipes. By adding protein, you’ll get even better all-around support for your health and fitness goals!

For more information on calorie intake, read my article, How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day?

Have any questions or feedback about when to eat fruit? Please leave a comment below…