Lesson on Fruits & Vegetables

My parents send me the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter each month. I always enjoy reading it. However, sometimes I am a bit surprised at what I read.

This month, there is a brief article about how Americans are falling short of their fruit and vegetable intake (no surprise). California is the state that ate the most fruit (again, not a huge surprise), and Tennessee scored the most points with veggies (HUGE surprise!). But then I kept reading, and this was the last sentence of the article:

“…orange juice is the most popular fruit choice and white potatoes (often consumed as French fries) are the favorite vegetable.”

Let me just clear some things up. First of all, orange juice is NOT a fruit. I shouldn’t need to explain this, but fruits are whole fruits, and fruit juices are simply not fruits. Juice is the sugar, and some vitamins, extracted from a whole fruit. Most fruit juices have additional ingredients like artificial colors, flavors or additives. They are highly concentrated in sugar and should never be counted as one of your daily servings of fruit! I think parents are quick to assume that if their child is drinking orange juice, they are getting their daily fruit, but I disagree. Freshly squeezed (at home, by yourself) orange juice or other juices made in a juicer will have more nutrients than any juice bought in the store. Store-bought juice does contain some nutrients, but it is mostly a way for you or your child to get sugar into their body quickly. Water is a better alternative! I know some mothers who have never once brought juice into their homes, and I think this is a great idea.

Secondly, French fries are barely considered a vegetable, at least in my book. White potatoes are a starch, and while they do contain some great nutrients like vitamin C and potassium, by the time you have sliced, seasoned and fried them in oil, they hardly resemble a vegetable. I love to eat French fries occasionally, just like everyone else. However, I would never count them in my daily veggie intake. In fact, if anything I’d feel they were working against me.

These things may be clear to you already, but I just wanted to point them out. It’s a good reminder to look closely when you read a study or a claim in this type of newsletter. If Americans are falling short of their fruit and vegetable intake, and the ones they ARE consuming consist of fruits like orange juice and vegetables like French fries, then we definitely have a serious problem! Remember to get plenty of fresh, whole fruits and vegetables each day, whether you eat them plain or cook them into a dish. The best way to do this is to eat most of your meals at home, or pack your meals to go if you need to eat at the office during the day. When you eat out, focus on dishes that are mainly protein and vegetables, and don’t be shy about substituting your French fries for a salad or some steamed veggies.

Fruit = Sugar = Fruit

My teacher gave us a friendly reminder yesterday that fruit, despite all of its wonderful nutrients, is still classified as a simple sugar. Yes, that means it’s in the same category as things like juice, soda, candy, or fat-free ice cream.

Fruit contains mainly fructose, which is the sweetest of all of the sugars. Simple sugars such as fructose go straight into our bloodstream after eating them, which gives us a quick rush of energy. Our body tells our pancreas to produce the hormone insulin, which is released and attaches to the sugars to guide them into our cells. This all happens very quickly, leaving us craving another energy burst by way of more simple sugars. As you can see, it’s this process that leads to constant sugar cravings.

But fruit is supposed to be healthy for us, right?

While fruit does contain many antioxidants and important nutrients for our health, it cannot be ignored that fruit is high in sugar. The skin of fruit does contain some fiber, but not much. The best way to approach eating fruit is to consume it with a protein and a fat. This way, the sugar will take longer to get into our bloodstream, and we will feel full for a longer period of time. This prevents the instant spike in our blood sugar. Rather than craving more sugar immediately, we will feel satisfied.

So basically, a piece of fruit alone is not the most well-rounded snack, especially for someone who tends to enjoy or crave sugar a lot. Some foods that would pair well with fruit that include protein and fats include nut butters; nuts and seeds; full-fat yogurt; a smoothie that includes flaxseed oil, nuts and tofu; or even some cheese.

And speaking of fruit, I happened to get an enormous amount of apples and pears from my CSA the past couple of weeks, so I made applepearsauce last night. I couldn’t find a recipe that I approved of so I made up my own – apples, pears, lemon juice, cinnamon, and a little bit of water. I kept the skins on and did not add ANY sugar. It turned out perfectly – nice and chunky, and just sweet enough. We had it with dinner (grass-fed steaks, kale chips, cucumbers and peppers) so there was plenty of protein and fat in the meal. But just a little tip for those of you that make homemade applesauce in the fall – no sugar is needed! The natural sugars in the fruit keep it plenty sweet. Also, if you keep the skin on the fruit, you’ll get a little extra fiber and texture!