2-3 servings of fruit a day w/o exceeding sugar allowance?

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I have noticed serious improvements in my daily sugar intake since starting MyFitnessPal, it's insane how much sugar I used to eat; however, one problem is my fruit intake.
An adult woman is supposed to eat 2-3 servings of fruit per day. If I eat a banana and an apple in a day, I am already over my daily sugar allowance. That leaves me with no room for ANY sugars in other foods throughout the day which is a large struggle.
I know if I'm eating natural sugars like the sugars in fruits, it's okay if I go a little over in sugar every day but I'm trying really hard to stay within the guidelines.


Any word of advice on this subject? How can I possibly eat the recommended 2-3 servings of fruit in a day without going over sugar allowance?

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    a) change to berries that are lower in sugar
    b) question the origin and validity of the "supposed to" number

    you can also customise your goals to increase your daily sugar, or turn off sugar tracking altogether.
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
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    The only advice I have to give is if you are getting any of your information from the FDA... run the other way.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    I have a tendency to blow up my sugar due to fruit too...but I also have a tendency to eat entire cantaloupes, in addition to my usual daily nectarines, kiwis, bananas, etc. Of course, this isn't in exclusion of copious amounts of fat and protein (like some infamous fruitarians), but it's still probably a little excessive.

    As for what is ideal? I honestly have no idea...
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Unless you are on some kind of low sugar diet.. MFP recommends 37 grams of sugar per day for me.
    Peaches, strawberries and pineapple, along with many other fruits are pretty low in sugar. For example, a peach is only 15g, strawberries are only 7g. You shouldn't really have a problem fitting it in without going over.
  • lcrabbs
    lcrabbs Posts: 6 Member
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    I have the same problem. I would love to hear more feedback on this topic!
  • mama2mila
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    I don't worry about natural sugars; I aim for 10 servings of fruits/veggies per day, sometimes get over 12. I avoid eating more than 1 banana/day, and all added sugars. I've lost over 30 pounds, so I think its working for me :)
  • MargaretWalks
    MargaretWalks Posts: 38 Member
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    I honestly don't worry about the sugar in fruit. What i worry about is the sugar in a cookie, brownie, pie, cake, candy. But I will still eat fruit. I am sure I go over my limit of sugar daily and largely due to fruit.
  • mandalynn109
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    Fruit is naturally high in sugar. But it's also high in certain anti-oxidants, minerals & other nutritional benefits. The natural sugar in fruit is better than sugar in, say, soda & other foods because that's mostly added sugar. If you buy canned fruit, stay clear of the stuff that is in any sort of syrup. Berries are also a lower sugar containing fruit. So long as you have a relatively healthy diet, the sugar in fruit won't have much impact in your diet.... like ice cream or chocolate milk would.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    The sugar in an apple and a banana, if you're not eating other sweets, is not going to derail your diet... I promise you

    Fruits (especially berries) have a lot of important nutritional elements that your brownies and cake don't.
  • kittyhasclaws
    kittyhasclaws Posts: 446 Member
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    Unless you're diabetic (or have some other medical reason to be at a very low sugar), then just hide that stupid sugar number. Fruit will always put you over.
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
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    Be conscious of the serving sizes.

    Also, eat berries instead of other high sugar fruits.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    Fructose is a poison/toxin to the body and why it gets sent to the liver and "disposed" of. It does the same thing to your liver that alcohol does. Google 'fructose and NAFLD'.

    Fructose is fruit sugar. There is no difference between the fructose in fruit and the fructose in HFCS. The body doesn't see the fructose in fruit and say "this is different sugar so I'll treat this differently from the fructose in HFCS".

    Whole fruit contains fructose in amounts that the body can handle and it's also wrapped up in a lot of water and fiber. And it's WHOLE FOOD. Real food. The body knows real food.

    There isn't anything in fruit that I can't get somewhere else. I get my vitamin C through leafy greens (kale, collards, spinach, etc) and colorful bell peppers. And a whole lot more nutrition.

    But there is some good to fruit and if it doesn't hinder your weight loss then enjoy it. It's real, whole food. If you don't seem to be losing, try cutting it out and see what happens. BE YOUR OWN SCIENTIST!!

    (this is interesting: http://chriskresser.com/got-digestive-problems-take-it-easy-on-the-veggies). he talks about some fruits, too.

    And most people with high blood sugars (and obese people) will never develop diabetes. The majority of obese people will not develop diabetes. Just like one in five diabetics are thin. That sugar does a WHOLE LOT MORE DAMAGE THEN JUST DESTROY PANCREAS!!! Did you know that sugar feeds cancer cells? They love it, thrive on it, multiply on it. They'll even take up fructose. Our own healthy cells can't do that - it must be converted. But cancer cells proliferate like crazy on it. Yet, a cancer cell will die if it tries to take up fat and use it as fuel.

    So don't hide that sugar number. That sugar could be the very thing that made you gain weight. When the body is used to an immediate and quick burning fuel source then you have to eat all the time to feed it.
    Become a fat burner!! Ditch the sugar!!

    And I'm sure I'll probably get bashed like crazy for this but I don't care. I'm in the best shape of my life and I had to get to 41 years before finding out what it really feels like to be healthy, lean, energetic, and HAPPY!!
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
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    I don't even pay attention to the sugar recommendation on MFP anymore. I don't eat anything with added sugar, so all of my sugar comes from natural sources (mostly fruit). So I am over on my sugar limit every day on here. But my glucose and other numbers are good.
  • Melanie_RS
    Melanie_RS Posts: 417 Member
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    if you are getting your sugar numbers from whole, fresh fruit, pay no attention to them. the end.
  • counti8
    counti8 Posts: 1
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    Glad to see I'm not the only one showing skepticism at the bias against fruit.
  • SmoothP
    SmoothP Posts: 16 Member
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    Fruits are very nutrient dense compared to their caloric load. And because of the fiber, water, etc in most fruits, they tend to digest and enter your bloodstream slowly over time. It's postulated that spikes and valleys of blood sugar are what cause sugar cravings, insulin resistance, and diabetes, not the presence of sugar in itself. Google Glycemic Index for more about this.

    Unless you are on a very low carb, ketosis based diet, the body runs on glucose, a simple sugar. In fact, complex carbs are just 3 or more sugars bound together that the body breaks apart (and converts into glucose, when necessary) before they can be used.

    As far as glucose vs fructose, it's true that the liver converts fructose into glucose. While it is possible that excessive fructose consumption may contribute to liver disease, eating whole fruit as part of a balanced diet would certainly not be considered anywhere near excessive. And note that fruit contains both glucose and fructose, with some fruits (eg: bananas) containing more glucose than fructose, ranging up to apples, with the highest fructose level of common fruits, at about 74% fructose. Sucrose, aka "table sugar", is a molecule made up of one glucose and one fructose. Lactose (found in milk) is one glucose and one galactose, which the liver also converts to glucose.

    P.S. Your liver, much like your heart, lungs, stomach, kindeys, intestines, etc is there for a reason and will not fall apart just from doing it's normal job.
  • Moniqua1
    Moniqua1 Posts: 195 Member
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    Wow. I was wondering the same thing but I'm more confused than ever. I'm gonna just eat my darn fruit because I like it, mama said it's healthy, and it's portable nutrition and not a candy bar.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Unless you're diabetic (or have some other medical reason to be at a very low sugar), then just hide that stupid sugar number. Fruit will always put you over.

    This ^^^^ (times 10)
  • ellel1234
    ellel1234 Posts: 25 Member
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    Thank you for all of the information :), I'm in no position to hide my sugar number because I think it keeps me on track. It does frustrate me a little when the number turns red but I'm not too hard on myself, especially if it came from fruits.