Get Your Fruit Fix

Fruit is an obvious go-to food when you're dieting. It's relatively low in calories, loaded with fiber and phytonutrients, and just sweet enough to satisfy a craving. However, many people make the mistake of thinking that fruit is calorie-free and end up eating way too much. (Fruit smoothies are probably the biggest calorie traps, easily running you anywhere from 500 to 1,000 calories.) Eating the right amount of fruit each day can ensure that you're getting enough of the nutrients you need without overdoing it calorie-wise.

So how many servings do you need? Most people trying to lose weight should have two servings per day; if you're a man who's very active, you can have three. Feel free to enjoy these servings at meals or as a snack. Here's an example of how to fit two fruit servings into your day:

Breakfast: Cereal and milk topped with half an apple, chopped

Lunch: Peanut butter sandwich with slices from the other half of the apple along with a glass of milk and some carrot sticks

Snack: Vanilla-strawberry smoothie: 1 cup vanilla soymilk blended with 1 cup frozen strawberries


What's a Serving?

Now that you know how many servings you should be shooting for each day, your next task is to find out what counts as a serving. A serving of fruit, which contains roughly 60 calories, is 1 medium fruit or 1 cup of chopped fruit or berries; 1/2 cup of grapes; 2 tablespoons dried fruit; 1/2 cup of fruit juice.