© Provided by EatingWell Fruit certainly has a place in your weight-loss regimen. Here are the best to eat to help you reach your goals. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to ditch carbs in order to lose weight. This is especially true when it comes to fruit, as it's loaded with a host of essential nutrients to nourish your body and keep you fuller longer (learn more about why fruit should stay in your diet even though it contains sugar).
Fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants help the body process fruit's natural sugars much slower than it would, say, a donut, which has little nutritional value to offer (see these 10 surprising foods with more sugar than a donut). Find out which fruits can help you reach your weight-loss goals a little faster.
© Provided by EatingWell spinach salad with raspberries, goat cheese & hazelnuts Raspberries Raspberries are one of the ultimate foods for weight loss, as one serving packs about ⅓ of your daily fiber needs—8 grams—and they taste delicious. Research shows boosting your fiber intake can help with weight loss, as fiber keeps you full and keeps your digestion regular.
Fiber isn't the only reason to load up on raspberries. This fruit gets its gorgeous hue from anthocyanins, an antioxidant that's associated with boosting heart health and preventing cognitive decline. Raspberries also contain ellagic acid, which may protect against seven types of cancers. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, which fights inflammation, keeps skin healthy and boosts your immune system.
Related: Spinach Salad with Raspberries, Goat Cheese & Hazelnuts
© Provided by EatingWell Baked Oatmeal with Pears Pears Pears don't get much press as a "superfood," but they are certainly deserving of the title. Just one pear packs 6 grams of fiber—about a quarter of your daily needs. This will help keep you full and keep you from overeating (most of the time).
However, pears offer so much more than fiber. This stone fruit is loaded with vitamin C to fight against free radicals that cause inflammation. They are also a good source of potassium to help lower blood pressure and boost your heart health.
Related: Baked Oatmeal with Pears
© Provided by EatingWell Blueberry Almond Chia Pudding Blueberries While raspberries offer the most fiber of the berry family, we still think blueberries are an important part of your weight-loss diet. Blueberries offer 4 grams of fiber per cup, but they are most famous for their antioxidant content.
Blueberry consumption is associated with protection against aging, UV rays, environmental toxins and stress. They even help safeguard us against memory loss. Stock up on wild blueberries if you really want to load up on antioxidants, as they have twice the antioxidant capacity of other blueberries. You can often find them in the frozen section of your grocery store.
Related: Blueberry Almond Chia Pudding
OrangesWe often think of oranges as essential for boosting our immunity, but they can be an important part of weight loss too. We love oranges because they help satisfy our sweet tooth while offering a host of essential nutrients.
A large orange has 4 grams of fiber, almost all your daily vitamin C needs and about 10% of your daily recommendation for potassium. They are also packed with carotenoids, a family of antioxidants that gives oranges their namesake color. Carotenoids can help reduce belly fat, improve eyesight and boost immunity to keep you healthy all over.
Related: Brûléed Blood Oranges with Yogurt and Cardamom
© Provided by EatingWell Apple-Crisp-Stuffed Baked Apples Apples An apple a day may not keep the doctor (totally) away, but it can certainly help boost your overall health. One medium-sized apple offers 4 grams of fiber to help boost the staying power of your snack or morning bowl of oatmeal. Preliminary research even shows Granny Smith apples could be especially beneficial for weight loss. Just make sure you're eating the skin—that's where most of the fiber and beneficial compounds are found.
Apples can also do wonders for your heart, helping to lower cholesterol and improve heart health. Apple consumption also helps fight cancer, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
Related: Apple-Crisp-Stuffed Baked Apples
© Provided by EatingWell Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark Strawberries We can't talk about the best fruits for weight loss without mentioning strawberries. This delicious berry can help curb your sweet tooth while offering 3 grams of fiber per cup to keep you full for hours. They also offer almost 100% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C in one serving.
Strawberries are the third-best source of polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that fights bacteria in your mouth and prevents tooth decay. The fruit also shows to be beneficial in helping to prevent heart disease, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and several types of cancers.
Related: Strawberry-Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark
© Provided by EatingWell Virgin Banana Piña Colada Pops Bananas Bananas get a bad rap for being high in sugar, but our senior nutrition editor never leaves the grocery store without them! Bananas not only pack 3 grams of fiber, but they also have resistant starch—a carbohydrate that may boost gut health and fat burn.
Bananas are one of the best foods to eat when you're bloated, likely because they pack fiber, resistant starch and potassium. Potassium is key for helping balance sodium in the body—and eating too much salt is a common reason people experience bloating.
Related: Virgin Banana Piña Colada Pops
The Bottom LineIt's important to note that all fruits can (and should) be included in any weight-loss plan, as they are a nutritious source of sweetness and offer more fiber than most foods. 97 percent of Americans are deficient in fiber, which is an essential nutrient for proper digestion, skin health and, yes, weight loss and management. The fruits mentioned are just extra-high sources of fiber and antioxidants to help you pursue weight loss and better overall health.
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