How much Fruit is too much?

[VeronicaFit]

Hi all!

 

I'm on day 3 of my first ever Whole30, and so far so good (that wretched headache is finally gone!).

 

I've been seeing differences of opinions on this topic all over the forum and other websites, so I was hoping someone could answer given my current circumstances:

 

How much fruit is appropriate?

 

Some people say once or twice a day, others a few times a week. Personally, I feel like the context in which your consuming fruit matters. 

 

Last night, about a half hour after dinner -- which was a buffalo flat iron steak with cauliflower and mushrooms sauteed in ghee) I was in the mood for something sweet. I wasn't particularly craving SAD foods nor SWYPO foods, but I did want something sweet on my palate. I had a small bowl (~1.5 cups) of a mixture of fresh strawberries, dry roasted almonds, and a few dried dates sprinkled with homemade almond flour. After finishing, I felt satisfied, but since I'm so new to the program I wanted to make sure I wasn't inadvertently undermining myself.

 

I understand that satiating sweet cravings with pure fruit just perpetuates cravings, and that eating a piece of fruit alone (especially something carby like dried fruit or bananas) can still spike your blood sugar. But if it's combined with healthy fats (as mine was), is it a horse of a different color?

 

Others might say the problem with my after dinner snack was not the ingredients themselves, but instead the snack/dessert element of eating something outside of the confines of a proper meal. If that is the case, I totally understand, I will try to refrain from any dessert-like activities (wow they sound so illicit!) 

 

Unfortunately, this still leaves me confused on the fruit front. Say I confine my fruit eating to within meals only. Does it then become acceptable to eat fruit multiple times a day? This morning for breakfast I had a cup of coffee with a spoonful of coconut milk, a spinach and tomato omelete, sugar-free bacon (Thank you Whole Foods!), a cup of mixed berries with papaya. The fruit in this meal was definitely a side, not the main event. For lunch, I had homemade chicken salad (chicken, homemade mayo, cellery, shallots, raisins, dried cherries, curry powder) and a salad of romaine & mache rosettes topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, green grapes, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Again, the fruit served mostly as an accent.

 

I don't necessarily feel that I need to eat so much fruit, although I do really enjoy it. So far all my eating on the Whole30 has been very enjoyable, and I feel like actively limiting fruit might take away from that. Ultimately, though, I want to detox my body and develop a healthier relationship with food. If cutting back on fruit is what it takes, than it will be worth it.

 

So, someone please clarify for me: How much fruit is appropriate?!

 

 

V.

[Midlyfechrysalis]

My synopsis of reading here and the online download is:

 

1. 3 meals, following the template, limit or eliminate snacks. Based on structuring meals using the template and having enough protein/fat to satiate.

 

2. Fruit up to, but not necessary, 2 times a day and a serving being a fist size.

 

3. Fruit part of or just after a meal and not to displace veggies.

[Tom Denham]

You are right that the problem with your strawberry, date, almond mixture was how you fed a craving with it. Starve your cravings for something sweet if you want to gain control of your sugar dragon during your Whole30. If you substitute fruit for sugar, you won't make the kind of progress that we want you to have. 

 

The whole dessert thing is a problem we want people to overcome during a Whole30, so we encourage making fruit part of a meal rather than eating it as dessert afterwards. The meals that you described that included fruit sounded great. Keep it up. 

 

I thought the Hartwigs were crazy when I first got involved with the Whole30 because they recommended limiting fruit. It took me awhile to realize that fruit is better than processed junk, but is not as nutritious as vegetables AND eating a lot of fruit tends to keep sugar dragons too strong. I eat a serving of fruit every few days now, unless I buy a case of oranges or apples from a high school kid. Then I eat more to use them before they spoil. Thankfully, the kids seem to sell fruit just once per year. 

[LisaLulu]

I like using fruit as a condiment like putting sliced strawberries on a salad or mango chunks on a lettuce wrap fish taco. Fruit is really good when you mix it with savory foods.

[ultrarunnergirl]

You found sugar-free bacon at Whole Foods? I have never been successful, thought only sugar-free was from U.S. Wellness Meats.

[DanielleM]

You found sugar-free bacon at Whole Foods? I have never been successful, thought only sugar-free was from U.S. Wellness Meats.

 

Some of the Whole Foods carry this: 

 

http://pedersonsfarms.com/product/uncured-no-sugar-hickory-smoked-bacon-natural-paleo-bacon/

[kel_be]

Some local meat butchers/ranchers also sell sugar-free bacon.  I get some from my local Farmer's Market.

[eabs]

Back to the fruit issue... Is eating fruit in higher quantities ok if you're not feeding a craving? I've been cutting out sugar for a while before doing a Whole30 so I have my sugar dragon in control. Is it ok to just eat fruit because it tastes good, as long as it's not pushing protein and veggies off the plate?

[Robin Strathdee]

eabs - as long as it's a part of a meal (not necessarily an ingredient, just on your plate at the same time) that's fine. I eat fruit because it tastes good and I like it

[hockeymom]

I eat fruit because it tastes good and I like it

Thanks for adding this Robin!

[ultrarunnergirl]

Some of the Whole Foods carry this: 

 

http://pedersonsfarms.com/product/uncured-no-sugar-hickory-smoked-bacon-natural-paleo-bacon/

AWESOME! I will have to look for this next trip. I haven't even looked at the bacon recently, never being successful before.

[littleg]

Something I've started doing to add some "sweetness" to meals without fruit is to use coconut milk.  The good kind that thickens up in the fridge  My latest breakfast has been a bowl of the Fine Green Beans from TJ and I top them in 1/4 - 1/3 c of coconut milk (depending on how fatty the meat I'm eating is ) as a side dish to frittatas, drumsticks, HB eggs, breakfast sausage, etc.  I think the coconut milk tastes sweet so it makes me feel less like I "need" fruit after the meal.  

 

I know this doesn't address your question but if you find you have trouble losing the fruit post meals this might help make it easier  

[melbournegirl]

I add cinnamon to lots of dishes now too, along with plenty of pepper and salt... its nice to have the full variety of flavours without needing to use (post whole30 of course) maple syrup or honey. Licorice tea is nice for a change too

[Bet]

For fruits, I am concentrating on berries. They are the most nutritious. A few strawberries (very ripe!) and blueberries with a meal seem to satisfy me and I know they are good for me.

[111amysyd111]

I'm on day 1 myself and just tried coconut milk with my dinner.  I was very surprised at how sweet it is.  Does anyone know when/how coconut milk should be used in this diet?  And is there any restriction?

[GFChris]

I'm on day 1 myself and just tried coconut milk with my dinner.  I was very surprised at how sweet it is.  Does anyone know when/how coconut milk should be used in this diet?  And is there any restriction?

First off, make sure the coconut milk you had was compliannt: no sugar, sweetener, carrageenan or other nasties.

 

If all is good, coconut milk is an approved fat on a Whole30, with a serving size of 1/4 - 1/2 a 14 oz can. Possible uses include in coffee, soups or sauces.

[walkerwl]

Just wandering what fruits are off limits?

 

Thanks!

[GFChris]

Just wandering what fruits are off limits?

 

Thanks!

Look carefully at ingredients in dried fruit: watch for sugar, sweetener and sulfites/sulfur dioxide. In any case, even if dried fruit is compliant, the recommendation is to limit consumption, as they can be 'sugar bombs.' Better to have whole fresh fruit instead.

[ultrarunnergirl]

Some of the Whole Foods carry this: 

 

http://pedersonsfarms.com/product/uncured-no-sugar-hickory-smoked-bacon-natural-paleo-bacon/

I went to WholeFoods last night and found it! Thanks for the tip!

I don't eat bacon very often at all, but it's nice on occasion. I've actually become really partial to the pancetta (just pork, salt & water)  I found at WholeFoods. It's in little rounds rather than strips so it cooks up a little more neatly.

[ultrarunnergirl]

One of my favorite fruit with a meal options is scrambled eggs with fried apples and rutabaga shreds. It sounds kind of odd but it's really perfect together.

[remybriscoe]

I love adding some fresh fruit to sparkling water. Help make the water more exciting, and is great as a mocktail!