A wide variety of fruit should be consumed as part of a well-balanced diet, and current guidelines recommend two serves of fruit per day for males and females. A standard serving of fresh fruit is equivalent to 150g, however almost half of the Australian adult population fall short of consuming their recommended 300g/day.
Yes, fruit has sugar... however it is also high in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and dietary fibre. Also, it’s low in energy, hydrating, and super satiating! Not to mention sweet and delicious!
While fruit in general is a good source of hydration, some varieties have a higher ratio of water:carbohydrates per 100g than others. Therefore, bear in mind that the energy and carbohydrate content of different fruits per the recommended minimum daily target of 300g can vary. For example, 300g of pears and bananas could provide 53g of carbs and 220 calories, compared to 300g of strawberries and melon which could provide 13g of carbs and 63 calories.
This isn’t to say that if your energy requirements are low or high then you should only limit yourself to specific fruit varieties, however it is something to consider when aiming to be strategic with your overall food choices. Although, we would argue that regardless of how low or high someone’s calorie goals are, there is always some room for a minimum of 300g of daily fruit!
Let us know, which varieties are you currently enjoying this time of year?