Let’s start- aim for about 2
cups of fruit a day. This, by the way,
is the same as the recommendation you sometimes hear to eat 4 servings of fruit
a day-that’s based on ½ cup servings.
This guideline is for an average-sized person, eating about 2,000
calories a day. If you’re on the small side or you need to watch your calories,
cut back to 1 or 1 ½ cups a day. If you’re very active, you may be able to
increase it to 3 cups a day. A cup is
about the size of your fist. An
average-size apple, orange, or banana would count as a cup. For maximum
nutrition and health, fresh fruits are your best choice.
Go for variety. Because
different types of fruits feature different nutrient profiles, your best bet is
to eat a wide variety of fruit. Always
start with whatever is local and in season where you live.
Watch the portion sizes on dried fruit. Portion sizes are different for dried fruit
than for fresh fruit. A quarter cup of raisins or a third of a cup of dried
apricots, prunes, or apple slices is equal to one cup of fresh fruit.
Eat fruit instead of sweets.
Most diet plans include a small number of discretionary calories. It’s
often about 15% of your total calories. So, if you eat about 2,000 calories a
day, you get 200 or so to spend on whatever you want. You can spend it on a chocolate cookie or a
glass of wine.
