Fruit and low-carb
 

I've noticed several threads about ditching fruit... so here's my two cents as a dietetic student :-)

Eliminating fruit from your diet isn't a good thing. Whole fruits have carbs, but they also have soluble and insoluble fibers, vitamins, thousands of phytochemicals/antioxidants. And they're low calorie (which is what weight loss really comes down to). Natural sugars are sooo very different than added sugars (like high fructose corn syrup).

High fat, no carb diets work short term, but the extra saturated fat can be dangerous to your cholesterol level.

Focusing on complex carbs like fruits and veggies, skim dairy products and whole grains will promote long-term overall health and weight loss.

Here's my 2 cents as someone who has been on Atkins nearly 6 years:) Anyone on low carb who is completely "ditching fruit"....isn't doing the plan correctly. Eliminating fruit the first 2 weeks is pretty standard but....after that period, it slowly gets added back into the lifestyle (low carb eating).
Eliminating fruit from your diet isn't a good thing. Whole fruits have carbs, but they also have soluble and insoluble fibers, vitamins, thousands of phytochemicals/antioxidants. And they're low calorie (which is what weight loss really comes down to). Natural sugars are sooo very different than added sugars (like high fructose corn syrup).
I totally agree, fruits have vitamins & important antioxidants as well as many other health benefits.
High fat, no carb diets work short term, but the extra saturated fat can be dangerous to your cholesterol level.
High fat, NO carb diets are dangerous to your health. Low carb eating, done correctly is a healthy lifestyle. As for cholesterol....again, when low carb is done correctly, most people greatly improve their cholesterol levels.:)
Focusing on complex carbs like fruits and veggies, skim dairy products and whole grains will promote long-term overall health and weight loss.
Correctly done low carb plans focus on fruits, veggies, dairy products and in the maintenance phase, whole grains and certainly do promote long-term overall health & weight loss.:)

I am not much of a sweet fruit eater. You must remember that fruit is defined as the female organ of a plant. A lot of lower carb fruits exist like Avocado and Tomato are still fruit even though they are classified as vegetables-- Peppers are even fruits. If I never saw a pinapple, I would not miss it-- it is way too sweet and I don't like it. I don't like many of the tropical fruits. I like a crispy apple, and also nectarenes,plums and fruits of the peach family (I love peaches of any sort). I used to like oranges more than I like them now. I have no idea why my taste changed. I get some when they are in season, and have a bit of a festival with them, but I don't go out of my way to eat them every day. Vegetables on the other hand I love. Brussle sprouts and peppers are my favorites.

As a low carber, I probably eat more veggies than most people.

One of the nice thing about strict LCing is your palette readjusts to sweetness. I couldn't eat oranges every morning like I used to, but when I have a sugar craving, sweet fruit hits the spot. Especially berries.

I completely agree that cutting fruit out entirely is not a good choice for anyone. While obscene amounts of fructose are probably a major part of what got most of us (Americans) in such bad shape, it would be tough to get that much from fruit alone, so I don't think we need to worry about that.

That said, most of the vitamins and whatnot in fruits can also be found in lower carb sources (non-starchy vegetables and some in meats and nuts/seeds) so going without fruit for days or weeks at a time (like in Atkins induction) probably won't hurt you. Phytochemicals... well, there's still a little debate about how important most of them are, as much as the food industry likes to play them up. :D

And your connection between saturated fat and cholesterol (and, if I may guess your implication, heart disease) is something that's discussed a million other places on the internet, so I'm not gonna get into it. But while you're probably being taught at school that it's a scientific fact (as are all other dieticians) there are lots of other scientists and well-read nutrition experts that would disagree. I think it's important to be aware of both theories, no matter which side of the argument you choose.

I've not seen any thread on this site about ditching fruit. Using portion and control yes, but eliminating, no. But whenever someone mentions portion-controlling fruits, it does seem that someone jumps to the conclusion that the person is "bashing" or talking about eliminating fruits. For some reason anything other than an "all-you-can-eat-fruit" opinion seems to get equated with "ban-all-fruit."

Just as "low-carb" is constantly being equated with "no carb," which is NEVER advocated by the reputable low carb plans. Even very-very-low-carb is rarely advocated for more than an extremely limited amount of time.

But the real principles of low carb plans, are always, it seems, being twisted and arguments. It's not logical to argue against moderate low-carb plans with arguments against the extreme (which no reputable plan endorses).

It's like arguing against owning a dog because wolves make horrible pets.


I love sweet fruits, and I include at least two (sometimes 3 or 4) pieces every day, but I do have to limit fruit, and stay aware of the sugar content in the fruit I choose. The sugar in fruit in excess can trigger the same kinds of hunger/craving that processed sugars do, just not quite as intensely. Choosing lower and mid-range sugar fruits works best for me. Eating too much of the highest sugar fruits can stall my weight loss and increase cravings for sweets and food in general.


I do eat quite a bit of vegetables that are truly fruit - cucumbers, zucchini, tomato, bell pepper, okra, squash, green beans, snap peas, snow peas, eggplant, avocado.

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but is eaten like a fruit. It's one of my favorite low-carb fruitables.

I don't ban any fruits, but I am careful with fruits that are on the high end of the sugar spectrum, because I tend to overeat them.

Every summer I gorge myself on Ranier cherries for the duration of it's season (and every once in a while I'll do the same on watermelon if it's a particularly good watermelon season). The only way I'm able to do so without gaining weight during those binges, is to treat them as modified fruit-fasts (eating fruits and vegetables, but absolutely no fat or starchy foods, and no proteins that have more than a trace of fat).

It's not a feasible way to eat in the long-term, because of the inbalance (and the effects on my digestive system, since I have IBS). It's not comfortable either, I always end up regretting it enough to promise myself I'll never do it again (until the next Ranier cherry season rolls around again).

Thanks for the all the good advice guys ^_^
You helped answer some questions i had myself.

Could you give some examples of fruits that are on the lower end of the sugar spectrum?

i was just about to ask that?

and how many fruits should one eat a day? i heard it was like 3-5 .. i try to eat that many but sometimes its hard because i am full.

Some lower sugar fruits are; blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, cantaloupe, kiwi fruit, lemons, and limes.

i am not a big fruit eater. I eat half a banana everyday and thats about it... but I eat tons of veggies and tomatoes. I need more Hearty food to fill in my calories. My calorie counting doesn't allow 3-5 servings of fruit.

The plan I'm following radically reduces sugar, specifically, so most fruits in traditional serving sizes are out. I do eat berries every day (strawberries right now since they're in season, blueberries and blackberries in the past) as well as tomatoes and avocados frequently. If I really want another kind of fruit, like peaches over the summer or something, I'll just have a smaller serving size. Not to mention all the vegetables. I'm satisfied I'm eating well and my nutritionist is satisfied!

Ditto to all of this except for the strawberries-- they're a trigger food for me! I LOVE avocadoes and tomatoes