You might have noticed our “fruit pyramid” has gotten a bit of online attention recently.
The infographic (which is the same one we’ve used to help people on the I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program for three years) has sparked an interesting conversation about what fruit to eat.
So, once and for all, we thought we’d clear up the debate (again!). Here goes…
1. Fructose is the sugar we’re mindful of.
When we say “sugar”, we’re really talking about fructose. Fructose is one-half of sucrose, or “sugar”. From soft drinks to canned soup, it is extremely prevalent in most processed foods.
When consumed in excess (and it often is), fructose can really make us sick. Like alcohol and other toxins, it is processed by the liver and studies have shown it to be uniquely addictive.
Robust science has shown fructose (in its pure form, or as sucrose or soft drinks) to significantly increase our risk of type 2 diabetes, liver disease, heart disease and certain cancers. New research is coming out all the time to prove this.
And if you don’t believe us, the World Health Organization says we should all limit “free sugar” intake to five per cent of our daily energy intake for optimum health – that’s six teaspoons a day for women, and nine teaspoons for men.
2. BUT we still eat fruit every day.
Whole, fresh fruit is entirely different (and not considered a “free sugar” by the WHO).
Unlike processed foods, fruit comes in its own package of fibre, vitamins, minerals and enzymes which help us metabolise the small amount of natural fructose inside.
We ONLY cut out fruit for four weeks on the program to give your appetite and taste buds a chance to reset. If you’re worried this will leave you er, blocked up, let us assure you the fibre from 7–9 serves of veggies won’t let that happen!
Once this short period is over, we go for a couple of serves of fruit a day. We always have! This is also what the Australian Government recommends.
3. We DON’T have juice or dried fruit every day.
When you juice or dry fruit, it condenses the fructose content. The WHO also considers juice and fruit concentrates (as well as honey and syrups) to be “free sugars”.
You could easily exceed the WHO’s free sugar guidelines if you’re regularly having juice and dried fruit – one 250ml serve of apple juice contains more than five teaspoons of sugar.
This isn’t forbidding you to EVER have juice or a date again. But it’s important to be mindful of these foods, which are often marketed as healthy.
4. Our pyramid helps people be mindful of fructose.
We developed it with our team of qualified dietitians and nutritionists. It breaks fruit down by fructose content, to help people be mindful as they reintroduce fruit on the 8-Week Program.
After all, low-fructose fruits will definitely help ease you into the transition more than others. A kiwi fruit, for example, contains less than a teaspoon of fructose, so it probably won’t give you a sugar rush!
5. Quitting sugar is a gentle experiment.
When you do start reintroducing sugar, you’ll find out for yourself how much fruit (and what kinds) your body wants. It will also taste sweeter and satisfy you longer.
This is all part of a gentle experiment with yourself to rediscover your unique needs. While we offer guidance, we don’t do strict rules – because even though we ALL need to limit added sugar, we’re also all different!
Finally, we encourage you all to eat whole fruit every day, whether it’s berries or bananas. It really is too delicious, beautiful and healthy to give up.
Discover our fruity recipes:
- Banana Bread Pancakes.
- Nectarine + Avocado Toastie.
- Spiced Apple + Parsnip Buns.
- Strawberry Daiquiri.
- Vanilla Peach Kombucha Gummies.
Do you have any questions for us about fruit? Shout them out below! Or, if you want to reach out to us, email our customer service team at info@iquitsugar.com.
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