Posted April 21, 2014 14:03:50 CST

Importance of Good Nutrition – The Fruit Food Group

by Peggy Grosskopf

What is Fruit?

As part of a series of articles on the importance of good nutrition, this month’s article focuses on the fruit food group. This article provides you with general information about the fruit food group such as: what is fruit, how much fruit is needed daily, what are the main types of fruit, the health benefits of fruit, and tips for making wiser choices from the fruit food group.

Fruit is generally thought of as sweet and grows on a tree or bush. It is produced from the maturation of one or more flowers which form all or part of the fruit.

Fruit has high water content and provides a very important source of dietary fiber and vitamins (especially Vitamin C). Fruit can be eaten raw, and it can be used to make beverages like orange juice, apple juice, and grape juice. In addition, fruit can be processed into jams and jellies, and preserved by dehydration, fermentation, canning, or pickling. Fruit can also be manufactured in foods like yogurt, cakes, cookies, ice cream and pies.

There are two broad classes of fruit – fleshy and dry.

Fleshy fruits include berries, kiwi, grapes, melon, apples, and pineapple,

Dry fruits include legumes, cereal grains, and nuts.

How Much Fruit is Needed Daily?

The right amount of fruit needed daily can vary for men, women and children based on age and level of physical activity. The recommended daily allowances for the age groups shown below are based on less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity:

• Children: 2-3 yrs = 1 cup, 4-8 yrs = 1 to 1/2 cups
• Girls: 9+ yrs = 1 to 1 1/2 cups
• Boys: 9-13 yrs = 1 to 1 1/2 cups  14-18 yrs = 2 cups
• Women: 19-30 yrs = 2 cups   31+ yrs = 1 to 1 1/2 cups 
• Men: 19+ yrs = 2 cups

What Counts as a Cup?

• 1 small apple
• 1 large banana or orange
• 1 medium grapefruit or pear
• 2 large or 3 medium plums
• 8 large strawberries
• 32 grapes

Servings of About 100 Calories

• medium-sized apple = 72
• medium-sized banana = 105
• 1 cup blueberries = 83
• 1 cup grapes = 100

What Are the the Main Types of Fruit?

Fruit is generally defined as the fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains the seeds and can be eaten. Fruits are sweet or sour, and generally edible in their raw form. These fruits, called botanic fruits, are fruits like:

• Apples
• Oranges
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Bananas
• Lemons
• Grapefruit

There are, however, many other botanic fruits that most of us might actually think are vegetables. These botanic fruits, often referred to as culinary vegetables, include the following:

• Tomatoes
• Bean pods
• Corn kernels
• Wheat grains
• Rhubarb
• Pumpkin/Squash
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant

Health Benefits of Fruit

Fruit provides important vitamins, minerals and fiber essential for good health. A diet rich in fruit may also reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases.

• Fiber has a number of beneficial effects such as lowering the risk of coronary artery disease and is found in fruits such as cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, dried plums, and raisins.
• Potassium is a mineral that helps monitor the levels of fluids and electrolytes in the body. It also contributes to keeping blood pressure at a healthy level and can be found in fruits like figs, dates, bananas, and apricots.
• Vitamin A helps keep eyes and skin healthy as well as protecting against infections.  Fruits rich in Vitamin A are mangoes, winter squash, pumpkin, and cantaloupe.
• Vitamin C is essential for keeping teeth and gums healthy and healing cuts and wounds.  Excellent sources of Vitamin C can be found in fruits such as kiwi, guava, pineapple, oranges, apples, and grapefruit.

Tips for Making Wiser Choices

Eating more fruit may help manage your weight because the water and fiber in fruit adds volume to your meal allowing you to eat the same amount of food but with fewer calories. The following tips may help when planning your daily meals:

• Reduce the amount of cereal in your bowl and add some cut-up fruit such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or peaches.
• Substitute fruit as a daily snack once or twice per day, and you will only consume about 100 calories per snack.
• While canned or frozen fruit may be a good replacement when fresh fruit isn’t available, always try to eat fruit raw to enjoy its natural sweetness and its health benefits.
• Choose fresh fruit over fruit juice when possible as juice loses the fiber from the fresh fruit and contains more calories.