HOW MUCH FRUIT? ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH OR EATING TOO MUCH?

Did you know that in 2017-18 just over 51% of Australians 18 and over met the recommended guidelines for daily serves of fruit. And 1 in 20 met both fruit and veg recommendations. (Stats from Australian Bureau of Statistics)

Australians also seem to overcompensate for their lack of fruit by having fruit juice which is higher in energy (Kj/Cals), higher in sugar and low in fibre (for more info read blog post “the misconception of sports drinks).

I’m not saying never drink juice, I’m suggesting to just drink it less and try to stick with the pure fruit itself to be more satisfied (from the fibre) and to get more out of it nutrient wise.

The average person should aim for 2 serves of fruit a day. 1 serve is roughly 150g

 from eatforhealth.gov.au

The RDI’s vary between age groups

Eating a wide range of fruit (different colours) – variety is key and eating seasonally will help you get the most out of your fruit. It is great to eat seasonally as it is usually fresher…

Here is a chart of fruit for each season of the year in Melbourne

Picture from Seasonal Food Guide Australia (Melbourne region) check out there website for different fruits & veg in season from different regions of Australia

 Some fruits are richer in sugar than others, these are natural sugars but still good to be aware of. Sugar can also be higher in riper fruits for example bananas.

Fruits higher in sugar could be great when you want some fast release of energy (could be beneficial for a sporting event such as sprinting) and lower sugar fruits could be beneficial when the aim is to satisfy you and release energy at a slower rate or if you tend to eat a lot of fruit throughout your day.

Here is a chart of the rough sugar content of fruits.

 Over all fruit is a great and yummy way to get nutrients in your diet, and is a great natural sweetener to kick those sugar cravings away.