Should fruit be included in daily sugar intake?

blondechic213
blondechic213 Posts: 26
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
MFP suggested that I have no more than 25g of sugar per day. This seems reasonable to me, only if talking about processed sugar. I've been packing alot fruit in my lunch box everyday to have as snacks in between my meals, but this is making my daily sugar intake through the roof. Does this kind of sugar count against the suggested intake? Or does anyone have any suggestions about what I can pack as snacks instead of all my fruit? Thanks.
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Replies

  • fityogarun
    fityogarun Posts: 5
    That is the exact same thing that is happening to me. Although I feel that it shouldn't be counted because fruit sugars are healthy. Not sure though.. looking for an answer to this aswell
  • GreenSkinnyJeans
    GreenSkinnyJeans Posts: 204 Member
    I have the same question.
    I am no help, D:.
  • kcwonder
    kcwonder Posts: 57 Member
    Fruit sugar (fructose) is not healthy for you, but it's not necessarily bad for you in moderation either. Fructose in general is not considered a good ingredient. Fruit is good for you because of the 1) vitamins and minerals and 2) fiber.

    There have been several forum discussions on this subject. Someone posted a link to a pretty informative explanation of fructose:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
    fruit has approximately the same sort of nutritional value as vegetables, the only real difference is it includes extra sugar in most cases.
    You can easily have more veg and less fruit.

    But even veg have sugar, so yes, you need to include the sugar from fruit in with your total sugar count for the day, just as you would sugar from all sources, processed or natural *S*
  • Jemmuno
    Jemmuno Posts: 413 Member
    fruit sugar is different than processed sugar so don't worry about it. Just look at the sugar content of processed foods you eat and if you keep to a goal of like 5 sugar or less that should keep you under 25g for processed sugars.
  • tegla
    tegla Posts: 132
    I'm curious as well. Whole fruit and 100% fruit juices, and MILK are sending my sugar column through the roof. And I'm very careful about "sugar". However, I was told that these sugars are treated by your body the same way, sugars from fruits and "sugar", as a simple sugar and are the first to be burned by your body as energy. Therefore your body isn't burning fat. And why high fructose corn syrup is super duper evil. Concentrated sugar. And to limit high sugar fruits such as strawberries :grumble:

    I certainly do not put this out there as fact, I offer up there information as discussion and would love clarification and more information.

    I do have the sugar columns up on my daily log, but tend to turn a blind eye to the sugars from fruits and milk. Blow me down, I've been on the site nearly a week now, and it's just been a total eye opener, I'm measuring my foods also.
  • TheBraveryLover
    TheBraveryLover Posts: 1,217 Member
    Ever since I limited my fruit intake, my stomach has gotten *much* flatter. So, I personally, don't mind it being counted.
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,338 Member
    It is processed fructose that is bad for you not the fructose in fruit. I subtract my fruit related sugars from my total of sugars to get an idea of wether I am having too much sugar. I would limit the amount of fruit juice you have though. Yes it is true that alot of fruit could be too much and still lose weight but you should have at least 2 servings of fruit a day and at least 3 servings of vegetables. There are fruits such as cantelope and strawberries that are as good for you as vegetables. So don't let the sugar content in the fruit keep you from getting the nutrition you need from fruit.
  • StephyTheGreat
    StephyTheGreat Posts: 13 Member
    I wasn't sure about it either. I feel like I should be eating a decent amount of fruit in the day. I love to juice, so my sugar intake from fruit will be high. I dont feel like it should count, but I dont feel like it shouldnt count. The only sugar I get is from fruit, really, unless I ate something outside of my home. I feel like its okay... but being a little paranoid, my solution was to find out how many grams of fruit sugar I had per day on average naturally, and use about 2/3 of that number for my daily limit.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Unless you are diabetics, the least of your worries should be sugar, especially from fruit. If you have moderate carbs, you will be fine. Besides MFP is low on sugar. You are better off tracking sodium and fiber along with the main macros: carbs, protein and fats.
  • lindseym18
    lindseym18 Posts: 48 Member
    Honestly the MFP sugar recommendation is total BS in my opinion. I eat all the fruit I want!
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    I upped my sugar goal to 50g
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    If you are looking to cut fat, then limiting your fruit intake and increasing your veggie intake is the way to go. Limit or remove all or most processed foods also.

    Also limit pasta, white or brown rice, potatoes, breads. I am not on it, but this is why the slow or low carb diet is so successful. Because these types of foods have to be broken down in the body as/into sugars.

    Cheat tips - avoid a lot of :

    fruit
    starchy foods
    processed foods
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Honestly the MFP sugar recommendation is total BS in my opinion. I eat all the fruit I want!

    it might be BS, but science is science and the facts are - the body doesn't discriminate sugars and starches very well.

    The reason people say "eat all the fruit you want" is b/c it has lower calories than processed alternatives, and are very nutrient dense. However most popular notions are usually wrong. You also don't look like you need to lose as much weight as the rest of us, so maybe that works for you ;)
  • cmecklenborg
    cmecklenborg Posts: 5 Member
    Fructose is fructose, whether "natural" or processed. It's processed in your body almost identically to how alcohol is processed. Fruit has the benefit of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), but the sugar should absolutely be counted in your daily intake. If you're going to include fruit in your diet, make it whole fruit - juice is as bad as soda.

    If you have some extra time on your hands, watch this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
    How can a raw orange be bad for you - unless of course you're diabetic. It's high in sugar, but I am only counting processed foods.
  • BonaFideUK
    BonaFideUK Posts: 313 Member
    It should be counted. Fruit is only good for you because of the other micronutrients. If you're really concerned about it then eat more veggies. They don't have much, if any, natural sugar like a lot of fruit.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    I wasn't sure about it either. I feel like I should be eating a decent amount of fruit in the day. I love to juice, so my sugar intake from fruit will be high. I dont feel like it should count, but I dont feel like it shouldnt count. The only sugar I get is from fruit, really, unless I ate something outside of my home. I feel like its okay... but being a little paranoid, my solution was to find out how many grams of fruit sugar I had per day on average naturally, and use about 2/3 of that number for my daily limit.

    One thing that seems to work for EVERYONE universally is limiting or removing completely calories from drinks (veggie & protein shake excluded). Juice is just as big of culprit based on how your body digests it, and most juice on the market has the same sugar content as a can of coke.

    220 calories from a 500ml glass of apple juice, but also 26g of sugar! And most people that drink juice drink 2+ glasses a day.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Unless you have a medical condition, there is really no reason to worry about sugar. Also, the fiber in fruits and vegetables slows the rate at which your body stores the sugar. I don't understand all of the science behind it and all of the ins and outs, but basically this is why my type II diabetic dad can have fruits and veg (though limited to a couple of servings of fruit per day) but is supposed to absolutely steer clear of processed sugar.

    Also...I don't know of anyone who got fat eating their fruits and veg...cake is another matter altogether.

    Manage your macros, not your micros.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Honestly the MFP sugar recommendation is total BS in my opinion. I eat all the fruit I want!

    this
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    How can a raw orange be bad for you - unless of course you're diabetic. It's high in sugar, but I am only counting processed foods.

    only counting processed foods - maybe you should try adding more whole foods (thus removing processed options). Eating 2 oranges could have the same effect as a bag of skittles in the body.

    Just b/c something is marketing and thought of as healthy, doesn't mean there are better choices out there.
  • Remo_Williams
    Remo_Williams Posts: 73
    Sugar is sugar - just like fat is fat. You are tracking an entire category.

    If you want to track fructose vs. glucose vs. galactose then that is a different question, just like tracking saturated vs. monounsaturated fat is not the same as just tracking "fat".

    Also if you choose to exclude fructose from the "sugar" equation, make sure you also realize that plain old table sugar is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, and that the evil high-fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose and 45% glucose.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    fruit sugar is different than processed sugar so don't worry about it. Just look at the sugar content of processed foods you eat and if you keep to a goal of like 5 sugar or less that should keep you under 25g for processed sugars.
    How is it different? Your body processes it exactly the same as any other sugar. The only difference is the fiber and vitamins in fruit.
  • amanda_ataraxia
    amanda_ataraxia Posts: 400 Member
    I do not trust anything that says to limit your intake of fruits and vegetables.
    Every single pound you see lost on my ticker has been from ignoring the sugar recommendation when it comes to all natural sources.

    I eat any and all fruit- even the incredibly high in sugar grapes, bananas, and dates. *gasp*
  • Jennifer217B
    Jennifer217B Posts: 38
    You should count fruit sugar. Sugar is sugar is sugar. No matter what the source, it's still on the glycemic index.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    fruit sugar is different than processed sugar so don't worry about it. Just look at the sugar content of processed foods you eat and if you keep to a goal of like 5 sugar or less that should keep you under 25g for processed sugars.
    How is it different? Your body processes it exactly the same as any other sugar. The only difference is the fiber and vitamins in fruit.

    Quoted for truth ^

    People stop spreading your "bro-science". If you don't know it, make sure you put "this is my opinion" b/c many people on here will just look for posts that support their existing idea and learn nothing from the ones that know what they're talking about.
  • hmadrone
    hmadrone Posts: 129 Member
    Fructose in unprocessed fruits is metabolized very differently from free fructose in things like juices. In its natural state, the fructose in fruit is bound up in fiber. It releases much more slowly into the bloodstream than processed sugar or the sugars in juices.

    That said, it's good to focus on lower glycemic-index foods, like vegetables. And it's better to get your sugars from whole fruit than from processed sweeteners or juices.

    It's hard to get too much sugar from whole fruits, but really easy if you're eating processed fruit.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    I do not trust anything that says to limit your intake of fruits and vegetables.
    Every single pound you see lost on my ticker has been from ignoring the sugar recommendation when it comes to all natural sources.

    I eat any and all fruit- even the incredibly high in sugar grapes, bananas, and dates. *gasp*

    saying comments like "every single pound I've lost has been from ignoring sugars..." shows you dont' know what you are talking about, and you're claiming that is the reason you lost weight, when in fact it might be a number of reasons all rolled up (which is most likely the case).

    Limiting veggies is a big no no, and I agree. However limiting fruit is a good idea- you should not eat anywhere near the same amount of fruit as you would veggies in a day.
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
    fruit sugar is different than processed sugar so don't worry about it. Just look at the sugar content of processed foods you eat and if you keep to a goal of like 5 sugar or less that should keep you under 25g for processed sugars.
    How is it different? Your body processes it exactly the same as any other sugar. The only difference is the fiber and vitamins in fruit.

    Quoted for truth ^

    People stop spreading your "bro-science". If you don't know it, make sure you put "this is my opinion" b/c many people on here will just look for posts that support their existing idea and learn nothing from the ones that know what they're talking about.

    +2 sugar turns to fat yeah - but thats because its not used. In fact - if you calories are more in than out and not utilized for energy it gets turned into storage instead.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Fructose in unprocessed fruits is metabolized very differently from free fructose in things like juices. In its natural state, the fructose in fruit is bound up in fiber. It releases much more slowly into the bloodstream than processed sugar or the sugars in juices.

    That said, it's good to focus on lower glycemic-index foods, like vegetables. And it's better to get your sugars from whole fruit than from processed sweeteners or juices.

    true, but many people who are drinking juice on here are drinking processed juice by the looks of their tracking
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