Fruit is not "free". It is Zero Points.
It might seem like a small thing, but it's really very important to the Points Plus plan to note the difference, and in order to make sure (if you choose to use the PP plan) that you get the most out of it.
Here's how it works:
-Most fruits, and vegetables are Zero Points.
-In conjunction with that, the Good Health Guidelines of the program state that we should eat about 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
-A serving size for most fruits and vegetables is half a cup. (Green leafy veggies like lettuce are 1 full cup.) As an example, ONE banana is often TWO servings, because bananas are so large.
-The calories from those fruits and vegetables are already built into your daily allotment. The system assumes you're eating between 5-8 servings.
- Most of those servings should be coming from vegetables.
- They are not free. They are merely already built into the system and are counted as Zero Points.
All that being said, there's a trial and error part of the plan when it comes to fruit (and truly there's trial and error with any way of eating). There are people who can eat plenty and it doesn't hinder them. Then there are others who've realized if they have more than two or three servings a day that they are consuming too much.
In the end, I have found it to be immensely helpful in that the Points Plus program encourages me to eat more fruits and vegetables overall.
On the old plan the old "this snack is 2 points versus this 2 points piece of fruit" was sometimes a hindrance to me choosing wisely. That's certainly not the reality for everyone, but it was for me.
I monitor my intake of fruit. Usually not having more than 3 pieces a day. And I feel good about the fact that it's already built into the plan. It's been a positive thing for me.
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