Fruit salad is generally balanced, rich in vitamins and fiber, “but a few small mistakes can make it less healthy and more caloric“, warns Alexandra Murcier, dietician-nutritionist. Here are 4 habits to put aside to make the most of its benefits.
Adding whipped cream
Is it really necessary to specify this? Yes, whipped cream is delicious, but it significantly increases the calories in your salad.
“Incorporating whipped cream into a fruit salad immediately brings an excess of calories and sugar. Indeed, it is often rich in fat and added sugars, which can quickly unbalance this dessert, although it was originally light”, warns Alexandra Murcier.
To make your fruit salad healthier, limiting or even avoiding the addition of whipped cream is therefore recommended. You can also opt for low-fat crème fraîche (15% fat instead of 30%) if you still want to add a little indulgence. Or even better: prepare a mixture of half whipped cream, half fromage blanc.
Adding sugar
Adding sugar, honey or coconut sugar to a fruit salad is not necessary.
“In fact, fresh fruits are naturally sweet. And when they are in season, there is no need to add sugar,” says the dietitian. On the other hand, to enhance the taste of the fruit salad without weighing it down, “you can flavor the whole thing with a little orange blossom, which goes well with many fruits, and which is not sweet”,
specifies the expert.
Buying canned (not fresh) fruit
Pineapples, cherries, peaches… Canned fruits, candied and syrupy as desired, delight gourmets young and old.
“Except that they are richer in sugar because of the preservation syrup present in the canned goods. A reflex to therefore be avoided, especially since these canned fruits have lost a good part of their vitamins”, admits the specialist. “Similarly, dried fruits, such as raisins, although rich in potassium, are much more concentrated in sugars than fresh fruits,”
she continues.
Excess fruit
Finally, although fruits remain excellent “health” foods, they should not be overused.
“They must be consumed in the correct quantity. A portion of around 150 grams, two to three times a day, is enough to benefit from their benefits,” recalls the expert. Consuming too much fructose can in fact be problematic for some people, especially those watching their weight or blood sugar levels.
Finally, “It is important to cut the fruit at the last moment, because vitamin C is fragile and degrades quickly in contact with air. recalls Alexandra Murcier in conclusion.