Vegetables are an excellent source of nutrients and current recommendations are to consume more vegetables. Fruit is also a very good source of nutrients, and recommendations are to consume more fruit also. However, fruit and vegetables differ in one important way and that relates to the sugar content. While fruit generally contains high amounts of sugar that can include glucose, fructose and sucrose, vegetables tend to be low in sugars. This is an important distinction because sugar consumption is associated with weight gain. Therefore a healthy weight loss diet should limit fruit intake. However, with vegetables this consideration is generally not required. In fact vegetables are an excellent way to obtain the antioxidant phytochemicals found in most fruits, but without the detrimental effects of the sugar. Certain root vegetables such as potatoes contain high amounts of starch, but they are also rich in fibre and water, and when eaten in their whole food form, are unlikely to cause excessive weight gain.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
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