Can Too Much Fruit Cause
Weight Gain?

Yes, too much fruit can cause weight gain. Too much intake of any food can cause weight gain--although some foods are much better to eat in excess than other foods.

Fresh fruits contain about 15-20 calories per ounce; for example, a medium-sized apple (weighing about 6 ounces) contains about 100 calories. Most people would be able to include about two times that level of fruit calories in a day of balanced food intake without overeating.

Fresh juice is a little different story because many people could drink one 12-ounce bottle of fruit juice at a single meal and that bottle by itself could contain about 200 calories (in unsweetened form). One bottle per day might work for some weight management plans, but it could also cause problems. This 12-ounce bottle could be too quickly consumed, provide too little satisfaction in terms of texture, chewing, and aroma, and be much less enjoyable overall. In any case, the juice would provide less complete nourishment than the whole fruit.

Dried fruit is the most problematic type of fruit in terms of calories. Six ounces of raisins contain about 500 calories. Most people would not be able to successfully fit this many calories of fruit into their Healthiest Way of Eating. in a day of balanced food intake without overeating.

Weight gain occurs when a person consumes more calories than he or she expends. Therefore, let's say, hypothetically, that based upon your individual energy needs, you need to consume 2,000 calories to maintain your weight. If, in addition to your regular 2,000 calories, you ate 500 additional calories worth of fruit each day, in one week you would gain one pound. (One pound is roughly equal to 3,500 calories of excess energy stored up in the form of body fat.)

In general, although I encourage daily intake of fresh fruit as part of a Healthiest Way of Eating, it's much easier to "overdose" on fruits rather than vegetables when it comes to weight management and maintenance of an optimally nourishing diet. Vegetables generally contain about 5-10 calories per ounce--about half the calories of fruit. Always remember, however, that it's your overall eating plan and exercise plan that determines whether you'll gain or lose weight.

Prunes in Orange Sauce

You will be surprised to learn that this recipe not only provides a very good source of vitamin C but 19% of your daily value for omega-3 fatty acids.It is a great breakfast dish served alone or over oatmeal or polenta. It also makes a great dessert; serve it warm over frozen vanilla yogurt and enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup orange juice, preferably fresh squeezed

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 tsp grated or minced lemon zest

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

24 pitted prunes

Directions:

1. Combine orange and lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and cinnamon in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer on high heat and add prunes.
2. Turn the heat as low as possible and cover. Simmer gently for only about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them so prunes don't get soggy. Add chopped walnuts and cook for another couple minutes.
3. Remove prunes with a slotted spoon and turn the heat to medium-high; reduce the liquid to about half. Pour the syrup over the prunes and chill or serve warm.

   Serves 6

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   In-Depth Nutritional Profile