Low-Fat Fruit Diets

Fruits are generally low-fat, low-calorie foods packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. Incorporating fruit into a well-balanced diet may help you lose weight and or maintain a healthy weight. For optimum health, the fruit group should be included in a diet that also contains vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats. Consuming a diet solely of fruit may lead to deficiencies in certain nutrients our bodies require to properly function (see Reference 1).

How Much Fruit is Enough?

• A low-fat diet including fruit is part of a healthy lifestyle, according to the USDA's New Food Pyramid. The USDA recommends that the amount of fruit an individual needs is based on age, sex and physical activity level. For example, most healthy adults should consume 1 1/2 to 2 cups a day (see Reference 2). Because most fruit contains little to no fat (with the exception of avocados, which contain the heart-healthy monosaturated fat), they are a beneficial addition to any weight loss program, within moderation.

Aiming for Variety

• When deciding which fruits to incorporate into your diet, aim for variety. Fruit is easily accessible and most kinds can be found at your local market or farmer's market. Choose fruits that are in season, as they will taste better and cost less. Low-fat fruits packed with nutrients include, but are not limited to, bananas, apples, oranges, tangerines, peaches, plums, melon (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew), berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries), dried fruit and 100 percent fruit juices. When certain fruits are unavailable fresh, purchase them frozen as long as there is no added sugar. Remember that avocados and tomatoes are also considered fruits (see Reference 3).

Fruit in a Balanced Diet

• To keep your diet fruit-friendly while low-fat, assess the other kinds of foods you are eating as well as their serving sizes. Choose carbohydrates of the whole-grain variety including bread, cereal, rice and pasta. Consume leafy green vegetables, legumes such as black beans and chickpeas, protein from lean meat such as skinless chicken breast, as well as fish and low-fat dairy. Limit your intake of fat by opting for low-fat cheeses, low-fat salad dressings and other condiments instead of the full-fat varietal. By eating a mix of other low-fat foods along with your daily fruit intake, you will lose weight -- as long as you are expending more calories each day than you take in (see Reference 1).

"Fad" Fruit Diets

• All-fruit diets are very controversial as they are often considered "fad," or unhealthy diets with expectations of immediate weight loss. While most health professionals warn against them, others swear by their ability to help weight loss as well as detoxify the body within a short time frame. Although low-fat, once an all-fruit diet has ended or the person gives up, the pounds usually return -- and then some.