Healthy eating styles include fruits in a variety of colors and types.
Whole fruit choices can be fresh, canned, or frozen. 'Fresh is best' is not always true. Canned and frozen are picked at the peak of freshness and processed immediately to lock in all the nutrients. By comparison, fresh fruit may travel many miles from where it is grown to where it is sold. Over time the nutritional value of fresh fruit can diminish making some types of fresh fruit less nutritionally-dense than canned or frozen. The key to purchasing canned and frozen is to choose "no sugar added" or "packed in 100% juice" products. If you prefer fresh fruit, try shopping at your local farmer's market to find locally grown, seasonal options. Choose a mix of fresh, canned, and frozen fruit to meet your daily needs and provide variety throughout all seasons.
Fruit juice can be part of your healthy eating pattern. However, it is lower in dietary fiber than whole fruit and if consumed in excess can contribute extra calories that lead to weight gain. One 8-fluid ounce cup counts as one-cup equivalent. Fruit juice should be 100% juice with no added sugar. Fruit juice from concentrate contains similar amounts of carbohydrates and calories compared to fresh fruit juice, but may have less vitamin A and vitamin C due to processing. On the plus side, fruit juice from concentrate can be fortified with nutrients (like calcium) not found in fresh juice. Both fresh and concentrate fruit juice are healthy choices as long as they are 100% juice and consumed in moderation.
"The amounts of fruit juice allowed in the USDA Food Patterns for young children align with the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that young children consume no more than 4 to 6 fluid ounces of 100% fruit juice per day." --Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020
There is no scientific evidence that juicing is any healthier than eating whole fruit. Juicing extracts liquid with the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and natural sugar from the fruit. However, it typically leaves the fiber behind to be discarded. Eating whole fruit, with all the nutrients and fiber in their original form, is a more balanced approach.
If you don't enjoy eating whole fruit, an alternative way to fit them into your eating patter is to blend them. Blending produces a drink that includes the whole fruit-- vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and heart healthy fiber. Adding a protein-rich food (like Greek yogurt or milk) and a small amount of healthy fat (like nuts or nut butter) will help balance the carbohydrates (sugar) from the fruit. A blended drink with protein, fat, and carbohydrates is a healthy choice that will keep you feeling full without a sharp spike in blood glucose.
Dried fruit can also fit into a healthy eating style. The serving size for dried fruit is smaller than fresh, canned or frozen because the fruit shrinks in size when dehydrated and preserved. A small handful of dried fruit (about 1/2 cup) counts as one-cup equivalent. Like fruit juice, if consumed in excess dried fruit can contribute extra calories. Dried fruit typically has sugar added to preserve freshness and balance sour or bitter flavors. Check the nutrition facts label and list of ingredients to see how much sugar, if any, has been added. Some common names for sugar in the ingredient list are evaporated cane juice, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, maltose, malt syrup, raw sugar, sucrose, sugar syrup, cane crystals, cane sugar, crystalline fructose, and malt syrup.
How much do you need?
The amount of fruit your body needs depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity. General recommendations range from 1 cup for children to 2 cups for adults.
Health Benefits
Fruit provides many essential nutrients that are underconsumed by most Americans, including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid). Most fruits are low in fat, sodium, and calories and fruit never contains cholesterol.
Potassium helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. Fruit sources of potassium include bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and orange juice.
Dietary fiber from fruits, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function and helps reduce constipation. Fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness. Whole or cut-up fruits are sources of dietary fiber; fruit juices contain little or no fiber.
Vitamin C is important for growth and repair of all body tissues, helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.
Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, fortified foods, or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.