Eat fruit properly to avoid gaining weight

To achieve maximum benefits when eating fruit without fear of affecting your weight, you can rely on the "4 should, 2 avoid" rule below.

1. You should choose fruits with a low glycemic index

When you eat fruits with a low glycemic index (GI), the release of sugar into the bloodstream is slower, helping to regulate blood sugar levels and prevent spikes that can contribute to weight gain.

On the contrary, if you choose fruits and foods with high GI, blood sugar levels increase quickly, then the amount of insulin released into the blood increases. And insulin can act on the liver to convert sugar into fat, which over time will lead to weight gain and belly fat.

Low GI fruits include berries, plums, kiwifruit and grapefruit. Fruits with a higher GI include bananas, oranges, mangoes, grapes, raisins, dates and pears.

Although it is recommended to choose low GI fruits, you do not need to completely avoid high GI fruits. You can still eat all types of fruit, but if you have a lot of sugar, you should limit eating too much.

2. Should be combined with protein-rich foods

When eating fruit, you should combine it with protein to provide enough energy for your body, satisfy your appetite but not cause weight gain. Consuming protein-rich foods like Greek yogurt, cheese or some nuts along with fruit can help control hunger and help you feel full longer, thereby limiting overeating - the cause cause weight gain.

3. Should be used as a dish

Many people often eat fruit as a snack, which will make you eat more fruit. Many fruits are high in natural sugar, so eating too much will make you gain weight.

Therefore, instead of just relying on fruits as snacks, incorporate them into your main meals to add nutrients and fiber. For example, add fruit to a salad, make a smoothie during meals, mix with nuts to make breakfast...

4. You should control your diet

Although fruits are healthy, they still contain natural sugars and calories. Pay attention to your portion sizes and avoid overconsumption, especially if you are trying to control your weight. The general recommendation for fruit and vegetable intake is at least 400 grams per day or five 80-gram servings.

5. Avoid squeezing fruit into juice

Drinking juice is said to improve cardiovascular health and metabolism and help prevent chronic disease. However, the disadvantage of fruit juice is that it has a low fiber content (the pulp containing a lot of fiber is thrown away), and a higher sugar and calorie content than whole fruit.

If you continuously drink juice instead of eating whole fruits, you can increase blood sugar levels, cause a lack of fiber in the body, increase appetite, and increase the risk of tooth decay. Therefore, you should prioritize eating whole fruits.

You can still combine drinking juice, but you should not drink it continuously, or combine fruits with vegetables to create a glass of juice richer in nutrients and fiber. If you don't like eating whole fruits, you can make a smoothie, which is a delicious drink that still contains fiber.

6. Avoid eating fruit when hungry or before going to bed

Although there is still much debate about when to eat fruit, eating fruit on an empty stomach can increase blood sugar levels. Furthermore, you should avoid eating certain acidic fruits on an empty stomach, such as oranges and tangerines, as they can increase the risk of gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Similar to eating fruit when hungry, eating fruit before going to bed will cause blood sugar levels to increase. This can lead to weight gain and affect sleep. At this time, your body has to digest so your body temperature will increase, which will lead to difficulty sleeping and restlessness.