I spent today tracking what I ate so I could see where I was overeating and my main problem turned out to be to much sugar intake. I decided to make a chart listing my favorite fruits and vegetables to refer back to when I'm trying to decide what to eat. To my surprise there is alot of sugar in fruits so thats something I need to take into consideration when I'm planning out my menu for the day.
Fruits
Banana(1) 105 cal .4g fat 3.1g fiber 27g carbs 14.4g sugar 1.3g protein 1.3g sodium
Watermelon(1 cup) 46 cal .2g fat .6g fiber 11.6g carbs 9.5g sugar
.9g protein 2mg sodium
Cantaloupe(1 cup) 60 cal .3g fat 1.6g fiber 14.4g carbs 13.9g sugar
1.5g protein 2mg sodium
Grapes(1 cup) 104 cal 0g fat 1g fiber 27g carbs 23g sugar 1g protein
3mg sodium
Apple(1 medium) 95 cal 0g fat 4g fiber 25g carbs 19g sugar 0g protein 2mg sodium
Applesauce(1 cup) 102 cal 0g fat 3g fiber 27g carbs 23g sugar 0g protein 5mg sodium
Peaches(1 large) 68 cal 0g fat 3g fiber 17g carbs 15g sugar 2g protein
0mg sodium
Pineapple(1 cup) 109 cal 0g fat 2g fiber 28g carbs 26g sugar 1g protein 2mg sodium
Raisins(1 miniature box) 42 cal 0g fat 1g fiber 11g carbs 8g sugar
0g protein 2mg sodium
Vegetables
Green beans(1 cup) 44 cal 0g fat 4g fiber 10g carbs 2g sugar 2g protein 299mg sodium
Broccoli(1 cup) 54 cal 0g fat 6g fiber 12g carbs 2g sugar 4g protein
64mg sodium
Brussel Sprouts(1 cup) 56 cal 0g fat 4g fiber 12g carbs 2g sugar
4g protein 32mg sodium
Cauliflower(1 cup) 28 cal 0g fat 2g fiber 6g carbs 2g sugar 2g protein 18mg sodium
Corn(1 cup) 177 cal 2g fat 5g fiber 41g carbs 5g sugar 5g protein
415mg sodium
Potato(1 large) 284 cal 0g fat 8g fiber 68g carbs 3g sugar 7g protein
22mg sodium
Sweet Potato(1 large) 162 cal 0g fat 6g fiber 37g carbs 12g sugar
4g protein 65mg sodium
Tomato(1 cup) 32 cal 0g fat 2g fiber 7g carbs 5g sugar 2g protein
9mg sodium
Cucumber(1 medium) 24 cal 0g fat 1g fiber 4g carbs 3g sugar 1g protein 4mg sodium
I do have one question though. Is eating fruit with high sugar content as bad as or the same thing as eating processed sugar or processed foods that contain sugar?
I personally do not know. However, I used to try and cut out fruits because of carbs and now I just eat them. They are filling, sweet and help me when I am wanting something unhealthy. I have gone to only counting calories and yes I am losing weight slowly, but I am still losing. There are other ways to cut back and I for one am not willing to stop eating fruit because it has natural sugar in it. So, my opinion (and I am NO expert) is that if you want fruit, eat it. It's much better than candy or chips or soda. Like you mentioned somewhere, this way of eating has to be for life. I know I will eat things like fruit and the occasional treat, so I am going to have them now. Just less of them. I want to be on a plan that helps me lose weight safely (and keep it off) and is realistic. I could never survive on a low-carb/no-carb diet. Why do it for a short while? Anyway, you are doing great. If you want the weight to come off quicker, you can of course get more extreme with what you eat or how much you exercise. You are more likely to keep weight off if you do it safely and slowly, though! Hang in there. You are doing a great job.
ReplyDeleteThank you Wendy. I'm like you I eat fruit when I'm craving something sweet and I wasn't even thinking about how much sugar was in it because fruits are suppose to be healthy. I guess you can have to much of a good thing. I'm still in the process of seeing what is going to work right now, I've only been eating healthier and exercising for a month. I just want to lose this weight once and for all and keep it off.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your last sentence. Absolutely not! Eating fruit is way better than eating processed foods. Fruit comes with fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants... They are good, but they are also sweet and it's easy to eat too much. As with most things it's about finding balance. Also there are other fruits that you didn't list like apricots, plums, pears, all sorts of berries. I know you mentioned that you like the sweet fruit, but maybe you can mix in some of the not so sweet fruits from time to time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, look at the total carbs count for corn and potato. They are not counted as vegetables in nutrition. They are starchy foods like pasta and bread. You can still eat them, of course, just don't count them among your vegetables.
Hi Floriana, yea I only listed the fruits I like. I guess everything in moderation is my motto now.
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