In one of your posts you wrote: -

“There isn't a single vitamin, mineral or nutrient found in fruit that cannot be obtained through vegetables, sometimes in better quantity (potassium for example)”.

I always thought the opposite was true. I’d love to know more about this as I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with cutting fruit out of my diet. Are there any studies or articles you can point me to that cover this topic?

hi there,

There is no essential nutrient in fruit that isn't also found in vegetables. Except sugar, and it's not essential There are certain phytonutrients that may be more abundant in certain fruits, such as proanthocyanins in blueberries or grape skins. But although those nutrients may have specific therapeutic benefits, they are not essential to health .. if they were, then people living in parts of the world where those things aren't native would be suffering deficiency diseases, which they are not. As Lisa pointed out, vegetables provide protein, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals in abundance; and also much fiber, both soluble and insoluble.

I'm not aware of a study comparing the nutrition in fruits and vegetables, since they are usually considered the same food group. Botanically speaking, the difference between a fruit and a vegetable is the part of the plant it comes from. Vegetables are the leaves, stems and roots, while fruits contain the seeds. The following "vegetables" are in fact fruits: tomato, zucchini/courgette, squash/pumpkin, olives, avocado, eggplant/aubergine, chayote, tomatillo, cucumber, pepper/capsicum.

IMO, if you choose a wide variety of vegetables, especially dark green and leafy varieties (not just iceberg lettuce which has very little nutrition to offer) ... and supplement with a little low-glycemic fruit as allowed on your chosen low-carb program -- some berries or a slice of melon -- you will be getting plenty of good nutrition.

Fact: a spear of broccoli has more potassium than a banana, and more fiber than an apple. It also has way more calcium than either of those fruits. It also has only 4g net carbs


hth,

Doreen

Thanks Doreen

Yes it does help! I eat all the green leafy vegetables plus loads of others so I feel confident that I'm getting all the right nutrients. Even though I like fruit I don't miss it an awful lot. All it ever really did was make me feel hungry anyway.

Since you've been following Atkins for many weeks now, and close to your goal .. you might wish to indulge occasionally in some fruits other than berries and melon.

Lowest-glycemic fruit choices, after berries and melons, are the stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, plums etc), or a small kiwi, handful of grapes or maybe half a grapefruit. These fruits have roughly 10 - 15g net carbs per portion, and certainly could fit into the menu for higher carb levels. Obviously, sweet fruits such as bananas, guava, mango and dried fruits, raisins etc are too high in carbs.

Have a read through this article at the Atkins website .. Moving Beyond Berries. It will give you some ideas and guidelines for incorporating different fruits into your low-carb menus.

Some folks do find that fruits can cause cravings for sweets, so proceed with caution.


hth,

Doreen

Thanks for the advice. I’m not trying to lose any more weight but am committed to staying low carb for the health benefits and of course to maintain my current weight which I’m delighted with. Actually I’m happy to just eat vegies and save fruit for the times when I crave it, like summer for example (it’s winter down here). I’d rather save my carbs for other things I like to eat like nuts and maybe some low carb bread every now and then. I also want to eat as little sweet tasting food as possible for the time being to retrain my taste buds….still trying to get used to the taste of tea and coffee without sugar!

Wow, Doreen...I think I'll hang on to that post of yours for a while...! Thanks for the info...