Is it ok to eat dried fruit e.g. dates, prunes, apricots, raisens and nuts/seeds if on a diet?

Question

I've noticed that they are very calorific and fattening! But surely they are more healthy than biscuits/cakes, etc - but if i do eat them will i not lose weight!?? help!!

Answer 1

as already said nuts do contain healthy fats which your body can digest, and like oily fish are good for you. I lost about a stone last year and have kept my body weight steady since. I do eat nuts but with regards to the dried fruit it does contain high levels of sugar.
I personally cant substitue my sweets with fruit but i find cherries are easier to cope with because theyre really sweet, I still do have jelly sweets, just not loads.

Answer 2

One sure way to fail is to avoid fats and carbs completely! Your body will think you are depriving it and will stop burning calories as a defense mechanism. It is a myth that you can stop eating these things and the pounds will melt away. The trick is to eat the right kinds of fats and carbs.

Nuts are very good for you (tree nuts, not peanuts) because they contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to your diet. Not all fats are bad, especially when you are dieting and trying to avoid the bad fats you find in most meats and fried foods. Omega-3 is the type of fat also found in tuna, salmon and olive oil which you should also eat on a diet, but a handful of almonds will provide that as well.

As for the dried fruit, make sure there is not too much refined sugar added. Fruits contain natural sugar, which is a complex (as opposed to a simple) carb, another thing your body needs. As with anything, stick to the portion size on the package and you will do fine.

Answer 3

You are right those are very fattening. They might be more healthy than biscuits/cakes but those two are not what you want on a diet either. They are healthier only because they have some other nutritional value but they will still fatten you up horribly and ruin your diet.

Try carrot sticks or some other chewy thing if you have an irresistible urge to be chewing on something. They have a little sweetness but not lots of sugar and no fat.

Answer 4

Yes they are good for you but still you should only have them in small quantities.

Nuts and seeds are high in fibre, protein, etc but they are also high in fat

Dried fruit has a lot of sugars which can get converted in fat.

Obviously if you want to snack then go for nuts and dried fruit rather than going for junk food

Moderation and will power is key

If you have 5-6 smaller meals during the day, you will feel fuller for longer and you will speed up your metabolism, which in turn makes you burn more fat

Answer 5

Yes you can eat dried fruits but some nuts are fattening. However, a handle here and there will hardly make you put on masses of weight. Just have a banana when you get peckish or some real fruit.

Answer 6

Dieting for weight loss: Fresh raw vegetables and fruits 95% of the diet. Eliminate processed/bleached flour, sugar, most dairy and fats.
The Fat Rule: If it doesn't melt at room temprature the body has difficulty eliminating it. Stay with olive oil, flaxseed oil etc. No margarine as it is one molecule away from being plastic.
Dried fruits and veggies are okay when on a raw veggy/fruit diet.
It all has to do with your total intake of fats and carbs. Raw/live natural foods support the "Krebs Cycle" of cellular growth.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kreb's_cycle
Good Luck

Answer 7

They are very healthy for you in moderation. Biscuits and cakes will add weight much faster, and lack very much nutritional value. You can never go wrong eating the things you have listed up there. Go a little easy on the nuts however. Good Luck ! :)

Answer 8

If you are trying to lose weight, then carbs are evil.

If you are like me then sweets are an addiction, and you dont like the idea of being a carbohydrate addict. The problem is something called "insulin response": when you eat sugar your body responds by increasing insulin, which tells your body to convert the sugars to fat.

I tried this:
If you want a kid to do a task that they dont like, and you reward them to do it, while you are paying them they will do it, but when the paying stops they will hate the task more. They spend their time working rehearsing in their mind and heart how much they like the prize, and they spend their time with the prize rehearsing how much they hate the task.

Im like those kids.

When I make a "payoff" it is the beginning of the end. As soon as I start asking "what can I get away with" I know I will shortly break all the rules that I set for myself. Eventually I cant keep myself from bingeing on the payoff. I have a terrible crash, and it takes me a long time to build up the motivation, confidence, and discipline to start over. When I do start over its a harder road because I hate it worse for the practice while I was getting paid off, and for the fall, and for how hard I have to try to get moving.

The long-term models dont involve "payoffs". They involve setting healthy habits that I can keep. Sustainable, long-term changes. Find out what you should eat, and work out a way inside your heart to be comfortable working with that for the rest of your life. Its hard, but its the only way to live.

Answer 9

depends what your diet is. A diet is "what you eat" so you can define that for yourself.

Some of the fruits you listed are very high in sugars, so make sure to cut out sugar in other parts of your diet. A portion of dried fruit is very small comprared to fresh fruits.

Excersize is the key.

Answer 10

They are better for you than biscuits and cakes etc, if you do eat them just eat them in moderation in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet im sure you will lose weight.