The correct time to eat fruit is about one hour before a meal and two hours after a meal (except for fruits like persimmons that are not suitable to be eaten before a meal). Eating fruit before a meal has many benefits. Firstly, many components in fruit are water-soluble, and eating them before a meal facilitates the absorption of essential nutrients. Secondly, fruit is a low-calorie food, with an average calorie content of only about 1/4 that of an equivalent weight of staple foods and about 1/10 that of equivalent meat. Eating low-calorie foods first makes it easier to control the total calorie intake of a meal. Thirdly, many fruits are easily oxidized and spoiled. Eating them first can shorten their time in the stomach, reducing the degree of oxidation and spoilage and minimizing any potential adverse effects on the body.
In addition, we should also avoid eating fruit right before going to sleep at night, as a full stomach can affect your sleep. Never think that eating fruit is a trivial matter; only by eliminating these misconceptions can we develop truly healthy living habits. Fruit is not a snack
In the diet of Chinese residents, fruit is generally considered a "snack" and a "dessert". Many people, especially adult men, often treat fruit as a "snack" and rarely eat it. Others see fruit as a "dessert," believing it is the cause of obesity and diabetes and avoid it. Such concepts affect their correct understanding of the health value of fruit, reduce their motivation to consume it, and lead to insufficient fruit intake in their diet.
The results of the 2002 Chinese Dietary and Health Survey showed that the average daily fruit consumption per person in the diet of Chinese urban and rural residents was 45.7g. This figure is not only far less than the over 300g in developed countries but also far below the 100g-200g recommended in the "Chinese Residents' Dietary Guidelines." Even for urban residents, fruit intake was only slightly higher than in rural areas, at 69.3g.
Should be eaten daily
Fruit is not an optional snack; on the contrary, it plays a significant role in our health and disease prevention. Therefore, the correct approach is to "eat it daily" and in the amount recommended by the "Chinese Residents' Dietary Guidelines," as this is the basic quantity for ensuring health.
Fruit contains very rich nutrients, mainly sugars, vitamins, and minerals, as well as bioactive substances beneficial to human health, such as carotenoids, bioflavonoids, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, and organic acids. The vitamins in fruit are mainly vitamin C, carotene, and some B vitamins, which are the main sources of vitamins in people's diet. A large number of scientific studies have shown that regular fruit consumption can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer; fruit contains many antioxidant components that can slow down the aging process of cells; and a large amount of vitamins can maintain the normal differentiation of cells.
Although fruit and vegetables have many similarities in nutritional value, because fruit does not require cooking, eating it raw avoids the loss of nutrients during cooking, maximizing its nutritional effect. Therefore, the nutritional role of fruit cannot be replaced by other foods.