I love fruit. Absolutely adore it. Now that summer is in full swing, and we’ve got fresh fruit coming out the wazoo, I’ve been eating my weight in it on pretty much a daily basis. No shame.
My current obsession? Cantaloupe.
Hello, lover.
I crack one open in the morning, and it’s usually gone by the end of the day.
A slice here, a few chunks there. Poof. Vanished.
And then I do it again the next day…
A bit excessive, perhaps, but how can you say no to such refreshing, juicy deliciousness?
Clearly, I can’t.
And it kind of boggles my mind that there are actually people out there who can…
Story time!
So, I was at the grocery store today restocking on some necessities, which included 2 bunches of bananas, a big bag of apples, a 1 lb. tub of blueberries, 2 cantaloupe, and 2 bags of frozen mango. Just your average haul – I thought nothing of it. But as I was unloading my cart, the lady at the checkout counter looked at me and said, “Do you plan on eating all of that fruit by yourself?”
Errr…?
I bit my tongue, and instead of firing back with some smart-ass answer, I went with a simple “Yes. I love fruit”, and gave her a sweet smile. Without even blinking she came back at me with, “Eating too much fruit is bad for you, you know? I’m watching my weight so I’ve cut fruit out of my diet completely”.
:shock:… 😯 😯 😯
First of all, do I look like I need to lose weight? No. Furthermore, did I ask you for stupid advice? No; I already know where to look if I need some of that. And finally, I’m sure those chemical laden, 100 calorie snack packs that you live on are 100x better got you than an apple or banana.
Mmm… banana.
Err. Wha? Sorry… easily distracted.
Things like this drive me absolutely insane. Not only do I hate it when people feel the need to comment on things that are none of their business, but the idea that fruit is bad for you makes my left eye start twitching uncontrollably, as it tends to do when… oh, you know when.
There are people (fruitarians) whose diets are made up primarily of fruit; and while I don’t advocate that kind of extreme (life without oatmeal and chocolate? no thanks!), going in the polar opposite direction and giving up fruit just because of its sugar content makes about as much sense to me as going on a gluten-free diet when you don’t have any intolerances – in other words, it makes no sense at all.
Greek yogurt with strawberries and honey … Blueberries and peaches in kefir.
I understand that there are people out there with legitimate medical conditions that require them to stay away from fruit, but the other people? The ones who simply suffer from fruitophobia? I just don’t get it. I mean, I do, because I used to be fruitophobic myself when I was in the depths of my ED, but as with any other fear of food, this one just makes no sense. None. Nada. Zip.
Sure there’s sugar in fruit, but there’s also a host of other vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function. Oh, and the last time I checked, our bodies need sugar (glucose) to function, too. Why do you think that bananas are such popular pre-workout snacks? Because they’re an energy powerhouse! I’ve been having one as part of my pre-workout snack for a few weeks now, and I’ve been absolutely rockin’ my workouts as a result. That and dates… dates are another good one.
So please, please, PLEASE, for the love of Pete and my poor twitching left eye, don’t buy into all the hype that fruit makes you fat. I easily eat 6 servings a day, and I’ve yet to see myself blow up to the size of a whale or experience any other negative side effects. Except for when it comes to apples…
You know how they say that eating an apple before a meal is supposed to help quieten your appetite?
Yeahhhh, no.
Sometimes, when I find myself getting really hungry while preparing dinner, I’ll grab an apple to hold me over until my food finishes cooking so that I don’t end up gnawing off my arm. It never works. If anything, I just end up hungrier… which just goes to show you that all that “advice” is absolute garbage.
. – . – . – .
Fruit: friend or foe? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Fruit = BFF I just can’t get enough. My current obsession would be blueberries, mangoes, or cantaloupe. They’re all sooooo yummy!
I find that I want to begin every post saying “I LOVE YOU” because I couldn’t have put it any better.
I LOVE fruit. Especially this time of year. It’s so perfectly fresh and ripe, and you can get it local too! I’m not gonna deny my cravings for a huge bowl of berries. Sure, it’s sugar, but it’s also antioxidants, tons of vitamins and minerals, and fiber. It’s the perfect preworkout snack. I’m also not watching my blood sugar or my weight, so why do I need people screaming “oh fruit is so bad for you!”. I see these low carb websites throwing heavy cream, protein powder, and cream cheese into their recipes, but avoiding fruit like one banana will kill them. I think I would be eating the former in moderation, not the latter. I’ll have my nutritional powerhouses, thank you very much.
I extreme like this post, finally someone else who actually gets hungrier after eating an apple!!! I could never ever be without my fruit, I think it would just be plain torturous to deprive your body of the flavor and nutrients. No berries in the summer?! No apples?! Yeah right!! 😉 I pity those fruit-a-phobes, they don’t realize what they’re missing 🙁
heyyy 🙂 ahh yes i’ve heard that and i’ve believed it too unfortunately. the banana thing…ugh a few years ago one of the things (like stupid ed thing i guess) i went into was like the low glycemic index, so bananas were virtually a no no. and other things. and now i eat soo many bananas, and i’ve even introduced things that are considered high gi just because i have a few stomach issues that are not nice at all, and the whole high fiber all the time thing wasn’t helping i don’t think :/ so i don’t have much of a choice. but ugslkdflskjd i hate these things…and honestly you seemed to handle it well i likely would just have bursted into tears, im so easily triggered aha, and comments like that, for anyone but esp people with eating issues…just not nice 🙁 but i like fruit. i don’t have as much as before (same with veg) because i’ve been having a lot of stomach things which sucks but i hope to reintroduce more. but mmm yes bananas. and i eat a lot of applesauce 🙂 and apples are yum. berries as its summer now and we can get them pretty locally. and im so excited for peaches in, august i think??? anyway i love this post but it also makes me sad. just the way that all of these ideas become truth, and i don’t even know what the truth is anymore. and its just sad that certain things like fruit, so natural and yum have to be ‘forbidden’ because people think they’ll get fat from them. xox
Canteloupe is my lover. Seriously. You should try it in my melon quinia salad. Its quite yummy 🙂 I’m with you though girl I could eat fruit all day everday, especially in the summer!! My taste buds seem to always want it 🙂
I probably eat 8-9 servings a fruit a day and I feel fine….better than fine….FAN-freakin-TASTIC! Where do people get their information?!?! Fruit is from the land….its about as natural and whole as you can get! Why would you ever stay away from it!?!?! It makes absolutely NO sense! I can’t even understand why someone would be “afraid of fruit”. Craaaaazy.
PS: I would totally get distracted too with a delicious banana snack like that 😉
Ha! I like how she thinks she knows what she is talking about. I HATE it when people say crap like that. Fruit is awesome! The only problem I have sometimes is with apples. They can give me gas sometimes. TMI 😀 But, I eat them anyway because they are one of my favs!
before i forget: omg, i have the same problem with apples. if i eat one, my stomach will feel really weird/bloated after, and then i’ll be starrrrving. i hate it.
anyways. yes, i hear you. drives me NUTS when people start offering diet advice. i just want to be like “are you saying i need to lose weight? because i’m pretty sure i’d rather go in the other direction with that…”
i mean, most people i give the benefit of the doubt as not intending to come off as rude or what-not…but still. i don’t go around telling people to eat X because it’s really good for you or not to eat X because it’s really bad for you, so i get uneasy when people do it to me.
Preach on sister!!! Love this post and I completely 100% positively agree with you. One of my best friends avoids fruit like the plague in a constant effort to lose weight and yet she will happily eat a plate of cold cuts and cheese for lunch because “eating protein and fats and avoiding sugar will help you lose weight…” Blah blah BLAH. I call BS on that one! ha! I looove fruit and I’m trying to show her the truth but she scarcely listens. Anyway, well said!!! 🙂
What a rude bih cheegirl!! I am also a fruit lover and I think that it would be good for weight loss due to its high water content and fiber. What fun would that be, cutting out naturally sweet foods? I’ve been loving cantaloupe too cause it helps with my sore jaw. 🙂
No Em Gee, She Di-int. Sigh.
I am fruit LOVAH! Eating porkrinds will kill ya a lot faster than Dates and Bananas. Nature hooks us up.
Isolated Fructose on its own can kind of get ugly but in fruit form its on point.
PS- I know you don’t do savory too often but ever try getting some nice course sea salt and sprinkling it on melons of any kind. Oh wow.
I’ve done that with watermelon, actually, and yes… is amaaaaazing 😀
ohhh I want to try this!
hells yes. haha I love that “nature hooks us up:)”
Fruit = friend. And same here, having an apple always make me hungrier. The theory behind the “full” effect is that the water content in the apple will help suppress your appetite…but it’s bullshit. I like having a functioning appetite though, so if an apple makes me hungrier, then bring on more food!
Arghhh i feel your frustration! I HATE IT when people feel the need to make such commentary on my food purchases/eats- or when they try to ‘educate me’ on their nutrition/blahblahblah- it’s like believe me I used to have an ED and already know far more about nutrition than you do thanks to the years of dietitians I’ve endured. And fruit is healthy, delicious, and full of nutrients/vitamins/minerals that can’t be derived from stupid diet food.
I love fruit. FRIEND for sure. I myself have been going to town on: mangos, papayas, lychees, plums, peaches, and berries…amongst other fruits 😉
I absolutely adore fruit – especially in the summer! I must eat at least 8 servings a day! I can’t believe that someone woud have the nerve to say something like that to tou just because you were buying fruit! What nerve!
I coukd never give up fruit – my favorites – berries, peaches, bananas, actually i like all fruit!
LOVE this post! I always hear people say “fruit makes you fat” it’s like are you crazy!? I eat so much fruit and cantaloupe has been my favorite. If you see a lemon drop melon though I highly reccomened it. They are delicious as well! I love summer time because of all the fresh fruits it’s the best part!
I hate the fact that anyone EVER came out with the idea of fruit being bad for us, and I hate that I’ve ever even had the inkling to doubt my fruit intake. Every time I hear someone say too much fruit is bad for you, I’ll admit it, I pause for a brief second and think… hm… maybe I should be a little careful not to overdue it. Um NO. I’d MUCH rather be eating my weight in delicious crunchy apples, fresh berries, juicy melons or bunches of bananas than in so much of the other junk out there. I’m not sitting on my kitchen floor stuffing fruit into my face until I hit food coma (okay maybe that’s happened once or twice when I chop up giant watermelon, no shame!) so I absolutely cannot see how anyone can actually have the nerve or, I dunno, idiocy? to run their mouth saying that fruit is bad for you. I’d love to see how this woman’s “diet” turns out for her. How much do you want to bet a lot of the other non-fruit consumption she’s doing has just as much sugar in it? People don’t even REALIZE how much sugar is in everything. I’ll take my fruit sugar thanks.
Dates + bananas = best workout foods EVER. I need to remember to eat these preworkout way more often.
Oh and apples? ALWAYS make me hungrier. Definitely with you on worst tide-me-over snack. I definitely prefer to stick to apples as post-meal treats. They do nothing for hunger.
Oh. My. Goodness.
This drives me absolutely insane! Fruit is one of the best things for your body. I eat a whole cantaloupe in a day…heck, I’ll even have it in one sitting! (Bottomless pit, right here!)
One time my friend who knows nothing about nutrition told me I shouldn’t be eating so much watermelon because it’s “pure sugar.” She was so matter fact about it, too: “Watermelon is actually bad for you, you know. It’s pure sugar. I know, because my mom’s friends husband has diabetes and he can’t eat it.”
Thanks, girl. It’s a good thing that I don’t have diabetes.
This made me laugh so hard.
Um, yeah, that lady needs to go soak her head or whatever. Have a nice life!
Fruit is most definitely my favorite food. I tend to go a bit overboard on it, actually… Yesterday I had three apples, two pears, a banana, some strawberries, and a heck of a lot of blueberries… And wow, look at that, I haven’t magically woken up and gained two hundred pounds! What a miracle!
Life without fruit would be almost as bad as life without chocolate. 😀
Without no fruit, there is no happiness in my life, ha!
I LOVE fruit! I seriously can not ever be without it! I love apples, berries, kiwi, peaches, and I just love fruit!
Fruit is fun!
Fruit is fresh!
Fruit is your friend!
Love you!!
Oh my gosh… I HATE people like that. Looking at what you’re eating/ buying and telling you in that high and mighty voice (like THEY know so much about nutrition) that such and such is not good for you… that they’ve read all about it (what? In people magazine?) and so that’s why they don’t eat X food.
A family friend was staying at our house for a while and was EXACTLY like that cashier. He told me carbs and fats were bad for you because “they turn directly into fat on your body” whereas protein is good for you because “it turns directly into muscle.” Then he would point at a pimple on my shoulders and say “That’s from too much chocolate.”
Some people are just so misguided, and it drives me insane when they force their bogus ideas on other people. Even if they do have these ‘philosophies’ they should keep them to themselves. But frankly, I’m surprised more ‘normal’ people aren’t diagnosed with eating disorders. Distorted thoughts about food have become so common nowadays that they are considered the norm. And that’s what’s really scary.
Ahh it definitely is a scary thing. It’s like we’re expected to be unhappy with the way we look, and constantly encouraged to take charge and change ourselves. Whatever happened to acceptance and focusing on things that REALLY matter?
Fruit is a friend for sure! I would be annoyed if someone said that to me.
I LOVE fruit! Seriously, I eat so much of it!! It’s just so yummy, perfect candy made by nature :). And I definitely think it is healthy. Yes it has sugar, but it’s natural sugar and it’s balanced out by lots of good fiber, vitamins, ect. Probably the healthiest way to enjoy sugar, I’d say.
Even if it wasn’t healthy, I don’t think I could keep myself from eating fruit! It’s just so delicious!!
I was in the grocery store today and realized that the food I always get tempted into buying is 7 kinds of fruit!
BEST FRIEND!!! And LOVER haha.
those comments used to and sometimes still do bother me too! but now i mostly just feel empathy for those people that are so insecure and so desperate to lose weight that they are brainwashed by the media and fad diets and celebrity “heroes” (heroines) who seem to be these creatures we put on pedestals simply because they “lost 100 pounds” or “found their perfect happy weight” or “fell in love with weight watchers.” as if that makes them perfectly happy! we need more role models out there preaching mindfulness and less processed foods…like you do 🙂
Love this.
So many people think that to be happy, successful, respected, – you name it – they have to lose weight… so they latch onto crazy diets and they are deified as they lose X pounds. Is that really all we care about anymore? Is that what makes a person accomplished? That they felt so ashamed of their appearance that they spent a bunch of money on some faddy diet and made themselves miserable for months, years, just to pose for an ad in a bikini?
It makes me sad. Diets and these crazy ideas about food (fruit? Bad for you? Oh, I see. That’s why so many cultures have made it a staple of their diets and thrive on it. Gotcha.)
are just an industry trying to earn money. I wish we could take the focus off of weight and appearance, and turn it onto real things, like academia, kindness, and emotional well being.
Amen. Beautifully put.
agreed!!!
Where to people get off making these type of comments about a persons eating habits?!?!
Aaanyway, I don’t think of fruit as foe or anything – I just never seem to crave fresh fruit( bananas and dates aside)-im more of a veggie girl .
However I just got a craving for a bowl of peaches & blueberries- no idea where that came from…
Xxx
HA! I would’ve been a smart-ass to that person 😉 I should tell you what happened one time in Whole Foods… remind me.
I don’t eat much fruit anymore… I used to ONLY eat fruit, so I have bad memories of it.
I used to have really bad memories associated with some fruit as well, especially melons and berries, but I truly love them so I needed to reprogram my thoughts and associate better feelings with them… and I’m so glad that I did 🙂
Amen, sister!! Fruit is something that grows in nature and last time I checked natural real foods weren’t bad for you. And I’ve yet to see anyone get fat from eating too much fruit. I admire your restraint. I would have told that lady she was an idiot.
Oh and I think we both know how I feel about the apple’s ability to “quiet hunger.” Doesn’t work AT ALL.
Wow, that makes me mad how completely insensitive that lady was! We are SUPPOSED to eat fruit, not pre-packaged snacks! My mom gets a little weird when I eat huge amounts of fruit because of the sugar content, and sometimes she suggests I eat veggies instead. I mean, I love veggies…but I think I like fruit just a tad bit more! My guess is that lady was having a hard time with her diet and she was feeling a bit insecure.
fruit is amazing!!! I hate all these fad diets out there saying they are bad for you ughhh no wonder most people have no idea what to eat.
I actually despise cantaloupe! I am all about the watermelon right now 😉
fruit a foe? well, that’s just about the stupidest thing i’ve ever heard! i love fruit, and i eat it every day. probably not 6 servings each day, but at least 3 or 4. sometimes, i have as many as 6 or 7 but not EVERY day — it’s not because i am scared of the natural sugar content though. i agree that it’s super annoying when people but in with their two-cents when it’s unwelcome, inappropriate and unneeded. i commend you for your patience.
xxx alexandra
P.S. sorry i left like 5 comments — i had a lot to say. =P good topic.
I have people tell me that I eat too much fruit ALL the time. I get told that it’s bad to eat so much fruit and that they avoid it because it has so much more sugar than vegetables. But then they go digging into huge candy bars and mcdonalds milkshakes (which isn’t bad don’t get me wrong!) but it just blows my mind that some people can think they know SO much about nutrition when they clearly know so little!
I’ve gone through anti-fruit phases but for the most part, even in the depths of my ED, fruit has always been ‘safe’. And clearly eating copious amounts of fruit never led me to obesity…in fact, it assisted in quite the opposite (once again, I’m obviously not promoting this…just trying to make a point.)
Food is food. During the summer I am thirsty about 100% of the time, and fruit quenches that FLAWLESSLY. I refuse to give up something I love so much (and is obviously good for me) just because people around me try to convince me that the sugar content in FRUIT is too high.
I get odd looks at the grocery store as well. People need to mind their business, especially when they have NO IDEA what they are talking about! I eat a tooon of fruit, and I am trudging along just fine. Although i must admit, eating alot of canteloupe sometimes gives me a stomach ache. But blueberries? I’m suprised my skin has yet to turn blue.
Give me some fruit over a prepackaged snack anyday…dipped in chocolate 🙂
Haha – that same thing happens to me sometimes. It’s weird because sometimes it’ll hold me over and others it definitely won’t. I guess it all depends on how hungry you are at the outset!
Overall though I’d say fruit is definitely a friend – I’d be lost without it!
Fruit = Friend.
I can’t stand it when people give advice that obviously is not smart advice and they have no reason to be telling you stupid things. Gaah.
The whole “no fruit thing” is absolutely bananas! 🙂
Xoxoxo
oh my God, what an idiot. Even when I was in the depths of my ED and terrified of all fruit (except apples for some reason), I knew a freaking banana was healthier than a 100 calorie pack. Ugh.
And thanks for mentioning the gluten thing. It drives me INSANE that it’s now the “cool” thing for bloggers to give up gluten when they have no intolerance…um what? (Of course, some bloggers ARE intolerant, so giving it up is pretty obvious in their case)
hahaha, the gluten comment made me laugh so hard… I’ve noticed that on a few blogs recently… especially when its gluten they’re giving up + they’re vegan…
i agree that the gluten-free thing is kind of squirrely. the only reason i pay attention to it is because one of my good friends has a gluten intolerance so i make note of recipes that are safe to feed her. other than that, i love my gluten. (yum, bagels) and i think it is kind of dangerous to so drastically cut out a food group like that (yes, i consider wheat/grains/etc a food group hehehehe) because, i don’t know, maybe they’d DEVELOP an intolerance or something. maybe that’s just me being dumb, but i always wonder about that.
I agree. Gluten is only bad for people who are allergic to it. Do you really think whole wheat bread, bulgur, barley, couscous, farro, groats, rye, or seitan is bad for you? Seriously? I don’t see the point. I really don’t.
This is something that actually drives me insane… there’ll most likely be a rant coming up about it in the very near future…
Cantaloupe and pineapples… I almost fear cutting them because, well, I eat them in one sitting (when I meet people who can’t stand either of them… I lose a tiny percentage of respect because… seriously they are nature’s gift to humans). I’d never paired cantaloupe with any sort of spices or anything before (usually I pop it like candy) but last year, I mixed sea salt, lime juice and cantaloupe, holy moly… that is one KICKER snack RIGHT THERE… if you have not tried it you MUST because… oiiiii.
Samantha
http://flavorator.blogspot.com/
I’ve noticed that about apples too…so weird! I love apples and reach for them whenever I need a little snack but it makes my hunger worse! And people not eating fruit? That’s just crazy talk lol.
i’ve noticed the apple thing as well. sometimes, if i eat an apple on an empty stomach, i feel really nauseated afterward. the same thing goes for carrots. i don’t understand it.
Okay, I am so glad other people experience this as well because I always kind of thought it was just me being crazy 😉
I get nauseated too if I eat an apple on an empty stomach. so weird! I don’t have any food allergies that I know of… it totally turned me off to apples though.
I LOVE THIS POST SOOOO MUCH! I am obsessed with fruit, and I used to be ashamed that I could eat a whole cantaloupe in a day not to mention the apples, strawberries, cranberries ect that I go through! I can’t believe the cashier said that, I would have been flabbergasted 😮
Yay fruit lover 🙂 🙂 🙂
😆 Yeah, I was a little thrown off. I need to go back in a few weeks and see how it’s working for her 😉