>>...we need the vitamins/minerals in fruits!

Exactly, which is why even in the early stages of weight loss, you can have tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers, avocados and olives. These are fruit, both botanically and nutritionally. They're only considered veggies because they're not blatantly sweet. There's no vitamin or mineral in sweet fruit that can't be had elsewhere. In fact, IMHO, sweet fruit isn't impressive at all for nutrition. A medium apple contains 13% RDA of vitamin C and less than 4% of the other "nutrition facts" nutrients. Almost any vegetable has a far more impressive nutrition profile. Even the almighty orange isn't much of a superstar: one red bell pepper has four times the vitamin C as an orange.

However, you're correct that sweet fruit can be added back into your eating gradually, as tolerable to you. I can handle half an apple or pear, a little wee box of raisins, an apricot, or a plum here and there. Berries, of course, are a staple.