Sponsored: How important is fruit?

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: How important is fruit?

Question: I’m trying to lose weight, should I cut out eating fruit?

Answer: Fruit is a great source of macro and micronutrients like carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber so it would be unfortunate to cut it out. It is doubtful that fruit is the culprit in weight gain or an inability to lose weight. Here are some things you can do to check your eating and lifestyle habits to see what you might need to tweak.

• Consider your overall health and not just a number on the scale. How is your blood sugar? Your cholesterol? Your blood pressure? Are you able to walk up and down stairs easily? How is your energy level? Are you getting enough sleep?

• Keep a food diary of the food and beverages you eat and drink for a week. Sometimes it’s easier to spot issues when you write things down.

• Take a look at what you are eating now. How does it line up with recommendations for your age, gender and activity level? My Plate MyPlate | U.S. Department of Agriculture is a good place to start.

Related Items

• Pay attention to beverages. It’s easy to get additional calories with fruit drinks, sweetened beverages like coffee drinks, sodas, sweet tea and even kombucha. Can you drink more water or unsweetened beverages?

• Are you eating when you aren’t hungry or snacking throughout the day?

Bottom Line: Sometimes making small changes in our habits that we can stick with is a better way to approach improving our health than eliminating food groups, feeling deprived or focusing too much on a number on the scale.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

Tags:

Notes from a plant nerd: Go, go chasing butterflies

Every year at the beginning of fall, an amazing th...

If you find yourself on the campus of Western Caro...

Up Moses Creek: Yellow Jacket Muse P.S.

(This piece is a follow-up to a previous “Up Mos...

SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM

Contribute >

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Avoiding ingredients

Question: If there is a long list of ingredients that sound like chemicals on a food package, should I avoid buying it?

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: What Can I Do With Tofu?

Tofu is the curd (like a cheese) of soybeans and comes in different textures from soft or silken to firm and extra-firm. Tofu is a good source of plant-based protein. Soft and silken have the consistency of a Greek yogurt, while firm and extra-firm tofu are more similar to a harder cheese or chicken breast.

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Ingredient Intelligence

Did you know that ingredients are listed from most to least? What that means is that when you see the list of ingredients on a food package, the ingredients appear in the order in which the product has the most to which ingredients are in the smallest amount in the package.

Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Partner content: Smart Snacks

When you’re busy it’s easy to grab something like a candy bar or soda to give you a quick hit of energy, but the reality is that those types of snacks are high in sugar which won’t keep you full, satisfied or fueled for long. Some better snack ideas: