In this article, you’ll learn what the healthiest fruit is and what to look for when buying fruit.
Have you ever wondered if an apple, for example, is healthier than a banana? In this article, you’ll learn what the healthiest fruit is and what to look for when buying fruit.
Is there such a thing as the healthiest fruit?
To get straight to the point… You can’t really say if one type of fruit is healthier than another. If you only eat bananas, for example, you will never get all the minerals and vitamins that different types of fruit can offer. It is therefore important to vary the type of fruit you eat during the week.
What you can do is determine what nutrients certain fruits contain, and make your fruit choices accordingly. I go into this in more detail below.
What nutrients does fruit contain?
Fruit contains various nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber.
Vitamin C
You probably didn’t know it, but not all fruits are rich in vitamin C. Apples, bananas and grapes, for example, contain little vitamin C. Fruits that do contain a lot of this vitamin are oranges, tangerines, strawberries, kiwis, citrus fruit, papaya, blackberries and other red fruits.
You can also buy red fruit in frozen form. Do you make a smoothie with it? Then be aware that certain nutrients (such as vitamin C and fiber) may be partially lost. Dried fruit does not contain vitamin C, but it does contain a lot of sugar and calories. Dried fruit is therefore more like candy than fruit. Not a wise choice!
Dietary fiber and potassium
Apples and bananas contain little vitamin C, but a lot of dietary fiber and potassium. Potassium plays an important role in regulating a healthy blood pressure and can be found, for example, in bananas and kiwis. Dietary fiber improves the functioning of the intestines and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. There are even more reasons why we are fans of bananas, despite their low vitamin C content: in this article Laura tells you why the banana is the ultimate superfruit.
In addition to all those different nutrients, fruit also contains antioxidants, such as flavonoids. If you want to know more about this subject, be sure to read this article on antioxidants.
Is canned fruit also healthy?
Canned fruit often contains a lot of added sugar and is therefore better replaced by regular fruit.
Low-carbohydrate fruit
Are you following a low-carb diet and looking for fruit that fits in? Go for berries, raspberries and blackberries. Coconut and avocado are also official fruits and relatively very low in carbohydrates.
Vary with different fruits
To maximize the health benefits of fruit, it’s important to vary it enough. So don’t just have apples and bananas, but also opt for kiwis, red fruits and tangerines, for example. A good guideline is to choose different colors throughout the week.