This story has been updated since its original publication date of 03/06/2023 to include more expert insight.
While fruits are usually considered a healthy food (and a great sweet treat!), some fruits do not make the list of the best fruits to help you lose weight. Fruits have the vitamins, nutrients, and fiber you need to stay fit. Just like any food, you should be eating fruit in moderation. It’s also important to pick and choose which kind of fruit you eat wisely. Consuming too many sugary fruits could pack on pounds. Even though they are still better than a bag of potato chips, some fruits are worse than others. Stay clear of dried fruits and tropical fruits if you want to lose weight.
To learn more about why dried fruit and tropical fruits are so bad for weight loss, we reached out to registered nutritionist, creator of The Candida Diet, and nutrition coach Lisa Richards; Health expert Mahmoud Abdelaziz from PharmacistMo.com; dietitian Catherine Gervacio; and Dr. Craig Primack, a weight loss physician. They said that dried fruits are detrimental to weight loss goals because the water has been removed from dried fruit. So, this concentrates all the sugar and calories in a much smaller package. And, tropical fruits like mango, papaya, and pineapple aren’t great for weight loss because they are higher in sugar than other types of fruits. Read on to find out more!
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Dried Fruit
Dried fruit are fruit that have had almost all of the water drained from them through drying methods. The fruit shrinks during this process, leaving a small, dried fruit. Raisins, dates, prunes, figs, and apricots are the most common type of dried fruit. Other varieties of dried fruit are also available and sometimes they're in candied form (sugar-coated). These include mangoes, pineapples, cranberries, bananas, and apples. After the drying process, dried fruit can be preserved for much longer than fresh fruit. Many people eat them as a snack or added to their salad, oatmeal, or even yogurt.
But, when eaten in excess, dried fruits can actually have a destructive effect on your overall health and weight loss goals. We understand why you may think this snack would be healthy, but, unfortunately, all the nutrients that used to be in the fruits have been stripped away.
"Dried fruit tends to be higher in sugar than I prefer to consume, primarily because it's highly concentrated in nature," Richards explains. "This variety of fruit, regardless of type, is significantly high in calories and sugar."
While fresh fruit is known for its sugar content, usually the fiber balances it out. But, the dried variation is devoid of much of the fiber that makes fruit so great for weight loss. "This is primarily due to the preparation method which causes a high concentration of sugar and calories into a small serving size. Due to the small nature of dried fruit, it is easy to overeat on these snack items and the calories add up quickly," Richards warns.
Dried Fruits Sugar Content
Nevertheless, Gervacio cautions that the dried variant generally contains higher sugar levels, making it a potentially unfavorable option that might contribute to visceral fat accumulation when consumed excessively.
"They may be packed with antioxidants and are great addition to oatmeal or salads, but they may have added sugar that adds a lot of calories," she says. "It’s very easy to consume a larger portion of dried fruits compared to the fresh ones. This can result in higher caloric intake and weight gain over time."
Tropical Fruits
"Everything is ok in moderation; that being said many are not good at moderation when it comes to eating and dieting," Dr. Primack says. And that includes what Dr. Primack says are "the tropical" fruits. Tropical fruits are considered bananas, papaya, mango, and pineapple.
Tropical fruits and vegetables grow in hot and humid areas of Asia, Africa, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Oceania. "This category tends to have more sugar and calories than the other fruit groups (berries and fruits that grow in the continental U.S.), and if you are trying to avoid sugar, it is best to avoid this group." Tropical fruit may have hidden calories that can hinder your weight loss plans. It is best to avoid these fruits as they're also excessively sweet.
Tropical Fruits' High Sugar Content
When it comes to pineapple, Abdelaziz elaborates and says, “While it offers beneficial nutrients like vitamin C and manganese, consuming large amounts of pineapple can lead to sugar spikes and potential weight gain." Abdelaziz recommends to “consider incorporating lower-sugar fruits like kiwi, melons, cantaloupe, or watermelon into your diet. These fruits offer vitamins and minerals with a lower impact on blood sugar levels.”
So, nutritionists and weight loss experts suggest avoiding dried fruits and tropical fruits. These are the worst fruits for weight loss because they either provide no nutritional benefit or are excessively high in sugar and calories. Instead, opt for fruit like kiwis, melon, or blueberries and grapefruit which provide fiber and metabolism-boosting properties. Your body will thank you for it!
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