A cup of fruit salad at breakfast supports weight loss. It regulates appetite with only 100 calories, while it’s packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and powerful antioxidants, which are involved in energy metabolism. Also, a fruit bowl in the morning burns belly fat, improves body mass index, and stimulates the synthesis of satiety hormones!
Regulates appetite for hours!
Above all, eating a cup of fruit salad at breakfast supports weight loss because it regulates appetite for many hours.
Fruit salad is particularly high in fiber. Fiber keeps us full for a long time with only a few calories. It takes a lot of space in the stomach. Also, fiber reduces hunger because it delays digestion and stimulates the synthesis of satiety hormones!
A bowl of fruit salad provides about 14% of the Daily Value of fiber!
You should add avocado, banana, cranberries, raspberries, or blackberries to your fruit salad. They’re among the richest fruits in fiber.
A fruit bowl has a few calories!
Most noteworthy, a cup of fruit salad for breakfast is good for weight loss because it has a few calories. In average, a fruit bowl has only 100 calories.
Caloric deficit is essential for weight loss. We have to consume fewer calories than we burn in order to lose weight.
There is no need to be very cautious with portion sizes, as long as you follow a healthy, well-balanced diet. You could even eat reasonable amounts of avocado, which is high in calories.
Despite its high calorie content, avocado is good for weight loss because it’s packed with compounds that burn belly fat.
Vitamin C in fruit salad burns belly fat
Also, consuming a cup of fruit salad at breakfast promotes weight loss because most fruits are high in vitamin C.
Vitamin C helps the body burn belly fat, and improves body mass index.
But, most importantly, we should consume foods high in vitamin C in the morning in order to protect the body from oxidative stress. Vitamin C is particularly beneficial for the skin, eyes, and hair! These are very vulnerable to sun radiation, air pollution, and poor diet.
Therefore, you should add at least a serving of fruits high in vitamin C, such as orange, grapefruit, pineapple, kiwi, or mango to your favorite salad. A serving provides 40-60% of the Daily Value!
Antioxidants in fruits support weight loss
Additionally, fruit salad plays a key role in weight loss because it’s packed with antioxidant compounds.
Fruits contain a wide variety of antioxidants:
- beta-carotene is naturally present in melon, mango, and pink papaya
- lycopene is found in high amounts in watermelon
- lutein and zeaxanthin are indigenous to avocado, orange, kiwi, and cranberry
- resveratrol is a natural component of berries and grapes
- flavonoids are found in berries, cherries, apples, and citrus fruits.[1]
According to many studies, a diet high in carotenoids has beneficial effects on obese people. Carotenoids appear to enhance weight loss, help burn belly fat, improve insulin sensitivity, and prevent obesity-associated adverse effects like inflammation.[2]
Flavonoids in fruits also play a key role in weight loss. They help burn belly fat, regulate energy intake, prevent fat absorption, increase metabolism, and have a beneficial effect on gut microbiota! Also, flavonoids may improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels![3]
A diet high in resveratrol also helps overweight people lose weight, improve body mass index, and reduce waist circumference![4]
The richest common foods in resveratrol are berries and peanuts. Thus, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a high-quality berry jam is a great snack for weight loss. You can eat it at breakfast or as a healthy snack between meals.
A diet high in potassium is beneficial for weight loss
Moreover, eating a cup of fruit salad at breakfast boosts the daily potassium intake. Most fruits are particularly high in potassium. A cup of fruit salad provides up to 24% of the Daily Value!
It’s important to eat foods with potassium. The modern Western diet is poor in potassium. Most people fail to meet their needs.
Low levels of potassium have been associated with increased risk of obesity.
The key role of manganese in weight loss
Also, a cup of fruit salad in the morning could help people who want to lose weight because it’s an excellent source of manganese.
Manganese is essential for the synthesis of certain enzymes that involved in many metabolic functions of the body. But, obese people have significantly lower concentrations of manganese.[5]
The richest fruit in manganese is pineapple. A serving provides about 30% of the Daily Value.
Banana, cranberry, avocado, and grapes are also great dietary sources of manganese. A serving provides 3-10% of the DV.
Pineapple is a great ingredient to your fruit salad for another reason. It’s the only food containing bromelain. This enzyme has potent anti-inflammatory properties. It may relieve joint pain!
Copper in fruit salad burns belly fat
Additionally, a fruit bowl at breakfast can increase copper intake. A cup of fruit salad provides about 10% of the Daily Value!
Adequate amounts of copper are necessary for weight loss. For instance, copper is involved in the synthesis of leptin hormone. Also, it contributes to a lower body mass index. On the contrary, copper imbalances may cause fat accumulation![6]
Figs are excellent dietary sources of copper. Most noteworthy, adding overnight-soaked dried figs to your fruit salad can skyrocket the total antioxidant capacity of your meal. Dried figs are among the healthiest fruits you can eat in the morning.
How to prepare the best fruit salad at breakfast for weight loss?
Certainly, a great time to eat a cup of fruit salad is at breakfast. However, you should follow 7 simple tips to make your favorite snack more healthy and beneficial for a hypocaloric diet for weight loss.
1. Eat a fruit bowl with some protein like yogurt at breakfast
Firstly, it’s important to eat some protein at breakfast. Protein is essential for weight loss. Above all, along with fiber, protein promotes satiety. A fruit salad with some protein can regulate appetite for many hours!
A great protein source that tastes great with a fruit salad is Greek yogurt.
Other excellent plant-based protein sources are hemp seeds, avocado, or vegan protein shakes.
Hemp seeds are among the few plant-based foods with a complete protein. Avocado is the only fruit high in protein.
2. Add foods high in omega-3s to your fruit salad
Furthermore, it’s beneficial for weight loss to include avocado in your morning salad. Avocado is the only fruit with decent amounts of omega-3s!
Adequate amounts of omega-3s appear to play a beneficial role in weight loss. They may improve body composition when a healthy, well-balanced diet is followed.
Actually, there are only a few foods high in omega-3s that we could incorporate to our morning meals. For instance, certain seeds and nuts can skyrocket our daily intake of omega-3s.
3. Eat at least one fruit with vitamin E
Vitamin E is vital for regulating insulin sensitivity. Also, it may inhibit inflammation in the fat mass.[7]
Hence, obese people should get adequate amounts of vitamin E from food. But, there aren’t many foods high in vitamin E with a few calories.
The richest foods in vitamin E are certain vegetable oils. You should consume only small amounts of vegetable oils if you want to lose weight, though. They’re particularly high in calories. Just a tablespoon has about 125 calories!
Luckily, there are some fruits high in vitamin E. A serving of avocado, kiwi, mango, pear, and cranberry provides 5-11% of the Daily Value!
Also, you could add almonds or sunflower seeds to your fruit salad to skyrocket your vitamin E intake in the morning. These are two of the richest vegan foods in vitamin E.
In fact, we have to eat foods with healthy fats, such as seeds and nuts when consuming vitamin E. The digestive tract requires fat to absorb vitamin E.
4. Eat fruits high in carotenoids at breakfast
At least one of the fruit in your salad should be high in carotenoids. These phytonutrients have powerful antioxidant compounds. It’s beneficial to get carotenoids first thing in the morning. Not only do they enhance weight loss, but also, they protect the eyes from sunlight and air pollution.
5. Eat berries in the morning
Additionally, it’s beneficial for health and weight loss to eat berries at breakfast. They contain anthocyanins, while, along with grapes and peanuts, they’re the only foods particularly high in resveratrol.
Moreover, berries are low in calories and sugar, while they’re among the richest fruits in fiber. Thus, they’re a perfect food for dieting. It promotes the feeling of fullness for a long time with only a few calories.
6. Avoid dried fruits at breakfast
On the other hand, you should avoid consuming dried fruits at breakfast. They’re packed with sugar and calories. In fact, most dried fruits contain added sugar. Sugar is a cheap ingredient that adds weight to a product.
A meal high in sugar spikes blood sugar levels. This is bad for weight loss. Sugar keeps you hungry. It leads to overeating!
7. Drink a glass of water before breakfast
Most importantly, you should drink a glass of water with your fruit salad at breakfast.
Proper hydration is vital for increased metabolism that burns belly fat during the day. We should drink at least 64 oz of water a day.
A fruit salad hydrates the body as well. Most fruits are 80-92% water! In fact, they hydrate the body better than tap water, as they contain electrolytes. Daily replenishment of electrolytes is necessary for proper hydration.
Can a cup of fruit salad in the morning make me fat?
No, a cup of fruit salad at breakfast won’t make you fat. Only consuming too many dried fruit can make you gain weight.
However, even healthy foods have calories. We should consume every type of food in moderation. In a healthy, balanced diet, we should consume a wide variety of foods.
Can I eat a bowl of fruit salad every day?
Absolutely! A bowl of fresh fruits a day is a healthy snack, and it’s good for weight loss.
According to the American Heart Association, we should consume at least 4 servings of fruits a day.[8]
Only people on keto, people with diabetes or other health problems may have to avoid consuming certain fruits.
Berries are preferable for those who want to minimize sugar consumption.
In any case, you should consult your physician before changing your diet.
What’s the best time of the day to eat a cup of fruit salad?
Certainly, one of the best times of the day to eat a cup of fruit salad for weight loss and good health, is in the morning.
Another great time of the day to eat a cup of fruit salad is after a workout. Sugar in fruits helps replenish muscle glycogen stores, while antioxidants neutralize exercise-induced oxidative stress. Hence, fruit salad is an excellent post-workout snack.
In addition, we could eat a cup of fruit salad at dinner. It contains compounds that support a good night’s sleep! After all, improved sleep quality and duration are essential for maintaining a healthy body weight. Also, certain compounds in fruits promote fat burning during the night.
