The new dietary guidelines shine light on how Americans aren't following a fully balanced, nutritious diet. Click here to see my blog on the new guidelines in a nutshell.
One way to combat obesity and live a healthier life is to acknowledge the lack of balance in your diet. I hope this blog will help you to do so!
I recently blogged on tips to increase your vegetable intake and today I'll discuss the next very important food group -- fruits.
Whole fruits are important for all vitamins (especially C), minerals, and fiber.
As you can see from figure A below, we seem to be eating enough fruits until age 8. The average intake of fruits, including juice, are lowest among girls ages 14 to 18 years and adults ages 19 to 50 years.
30% of the intake of fruits in the U.S. population comes from fruit juice, and 60% from whole fruits. According to the study - "the highest proportion of juice to whole fruits intake is among children ages 1 to 3 years, for whom about 47 percent of total fruit intake comes from fruit juice, and about 53 percent from whole fruits."
Figure A: Average Daily Food Group Intakes by Age-Sex Groups, Compared to Ranges of Recommended Intake of Fruits
DATA SOURCES:
What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007-2010 for average intakes by age-sex group. Healthy U.S.-Style Food Patterns, which vary based on age, sex, and activity level, for recommended intake ranges.
What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007-2010 for average intakes by age-sex group. Healthy U.S.-Style Food Patterns, which vary based on age, sex, and activity level, for recommended intake ranges.
What are whole fruits?
Whole fruits include fresh, canned, frozen, and dried forms of fruit. 100% fruit juice is an alternative option to whole fruits, but eating whole fruits is healthier as it contains fiber.
What is the recommended daily amount of whole fruits?
The recommended amount is 2 cups of whole fruits a day, based on a 2000 calorie daily diet. 1 cup of 100% juice is equivalent to 1 cup of whole fruits. ½ cup of dried fruit is equivalent to 1 cup of whole fruits. For more information on what counts as a cup of fruit visit: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruit
Am I consuming the right fruits as whole fruits?
Many patients tell me that they are happy with their fruit intake, and when I review their diet diary, I find they are not eating whole fruits at all!
Be aware of marketing, just because it's "fruit flavored" or has "added fruit" doesn't mean it contains whole fruits!
Be aware of marketing, just because it's "fruit flavored" or has "added fruit" doesn't mean it contains whole fruits!
The following are not ideal ways to consume whole fruits:
-Bottled smoothie beverages
-Fruit candies
-Fruit strips, fruit snacks or fruit roll-ups
-Boxed juice drinks (read labels and don't choose it if the drink reads anything below 100% fruit juice)
-Bottled fruit juice with less than 100% fruit juice or added sugars
-Fruit pies
-Pastries containing fruits
-Craisins
-Apple sauce
-Jello
-Fruit flavored cereals
-Fruits in gelatin
-Fruit jams/jellies
How can I increase my fruit intake?
-Bottled smoothie beverages
-Fruit candies
-Fruit strips, fruit snacks or fruit roll-ups
-Boxed juice drinks (read labels and don't choose it if the drink reads anything below 100% fruit juice)
-Bottled fruit juice with less than 100% fruit juice or added sugars
-Fruit pies
-Pastries containing fruits
-Craisins
-Apple sauce
-Jello
-Fruit flavored cereals
-Fruits in gelatin
-Fruit jams/jellies
How can I increase my fruit intake?
-Utilize fruits in interesting ways such an pureed in sauces
Apples, pear, mango sauces are great with meat and vegetables!
Apples, pear, mango sauces are great with meat and vegetables!
- Entrees with fruits don't always have to be sweet
Be creative and make savory dishes with fruits. Apples are great for this, since there are so many varieties of both sweet and tart.
Think about the savory entrees you have tried with fruit. Many fruits pair excellently with pork. Thanksgiving turkey is never complete without fresh cooked cranberries on the side! My mother in law makes an amazing savory dish with lychee. Many Asian recipes call for tropical fruits like mango, pineapples, guava, etc.
Be creative and make savory dishes with fruits. Apples are great for this, since there are so many varieties of both sweet and tart.
Think about the savory entrees you have tried with fruit. Many fruits pair excellently with pork. Thanksgiving turkey is never complete without fresh cooked cranberries on the side! My mother in law makes an amazing savory dish with lychee. Many Asian recipes call for tropical fruits like mango, pineapples, guava, etc.
- Add cut up whole fruits to salad and sandwiches
- Eat fruits as a whole when you can with skin!
The skin of certain fruits is an excellent source of fiber.
The skin of certain fruits is an excellent source of fiber.
- Choose fruits for dessert instead of things with added sugar like cakes, cookies, pastries, ice cream, etc.
-Buy a large bag of frozen fruits and store in your freezer.
Use these to make your favorite smoothies with low fat yogurt, ice or water as the base
Use these to make your favorite smoothies with low fat yogurt, ice or water as the base
-Make a large container of fresh juice from scratch and store it in the fridge as your go-to drink
-Read nutrition labels, and drink 100% fruit juice beverages
Make sure there are no hidden sugars. Find out more about added sugars here.
Make sure there are no hidden sugars. Find out more about added sugars here.
-Substitute water or milk for fruit juices!
-The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that young children consume no more than 4 to 6 fluid ounces of 100% fruit juice per day (that's less than 1 cup!)
-If you cannot be without juice --add 1/4 cup juice to 1/2 cup water to dilute it down
-Watch your serving sizes, especially if you are limiting carbohydrates
Fruits have natural sugars, and these also cause spikes in blood sugar. If you are restricting carbohydrates for diet reasons or for Diabetes -- watch your serving size!
Do you have any health tips to add??
Please feel free to ask any questions! Email me at DoctorDeenaMD@gmail.com or ask/follow me on Twitter @Doctor_Deena or Instagram at Live.Laugh.Love.Be_healthy :)
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