"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Among the many fruits, the apple can be said to be the most common and mild-mannered, but its nutritional value should not be underestimated. Fruits have a great flavor and texture, making them suitable for raw consumption. Since they can be eaten raw, no cooking is required, so the time for eating them is quite flexible—you can eat them whenever you think of it. However, from a nutritional perspective, the timing of when to eat fruit does have some considerations.
Compared to meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and grains, fruits and vegetables have their own nutritional characteristics, being rich in vitamins and dietary fiber.
Vitamins are a class of small organic molecules. Although the human body's requirement for them is relatively small, they have a wide range of important physiological functions. The problem is that as organic substances, their properties are not very stable and can easily be denatured and destroyed during processing and cooking. Vitamin C, in particular, is very sensitive to temperature and suffers significant losses when heated and boiled. The Third National Nutrition Survey showed that the average intake of vitamin C in our country's diet reached 180% of the recommended requirement, yet mild vitamin C deficiency is common in the population. The reason is that when vegetables are cooked into dishes, a large amount of vitamin C is lost, and the actual amount the body ingests is greatly reduced.
Fruits are eaten raw and generally undergo little processing, so there is minimal loss of vitamins, which compensates for the shortcomings of vegetables. Therefore, it is best to also include fruits as a component of the diet structure, with a serving of fruit arranged for each meal to supplement vitamins, especially vitamin C. This is greatly beneficial for improving the overall nutritional quality of each meal.
Many families have the habit of eating fruit once a day, and it is obviously more ideal to eat it at breakfast. Breakfast is usually simple, with few dishes to accompany the meal, so fruit is needed to provide vitamins. Furthermore, after a full night's sleep, the gastrointestinal tract is empty, and the dietary fiber in fruit can better act as a "cleaner," removing harmful substances from the intestinal wall and reducing the risk of intestinal tumors. Dietary fiber also has the functions of regulating and improving blood sugar and blood lipids, and enhancing the body's immunity. Maintaining health starts in the morning.