Most of us adults don’t eat many fruits thinking that they are high in calories and most of us spend out entire adult life looking for low-calorie food options. This is entirely a misconception. Several fruits are loaded with nutrients, and antioxidants and at the same time low in calories. These fruits will fit perfectly in our daily low-calorie diet and satisfy our sweet tooth.
In this post, we’ll explore the 10 best low-calorie fruits that have helped me maintain a balanced diet and manage my weight. Knowing that I have a huge sweet tooth, these fruits have also helped me lose weight. Whether I’m looking for a refreshing snack or a nutritious addition to my main course, these fruits have been a perfect companion for my switch to a healthier lifestyle.
In this post I will walk you through the fruits that I have enjoyed in the past 6+ years, so let’s dive in and discover the benefits of these delicious, low-calorie options!
Low-Calorie Fruits- Watermelon
One of my most preferred fruits for breakfast or for a small snack at 10.30 AM or anytime especially when I am out in the sun is undoubtedly Watermelon.
I liked to trek a lot across the world, especially in ASIA treks like Malaysia and Indonesia. The best part in these countries is I get to have a guide with me and I have found that all the guides carry this lovely fruit to the peak with them. I happened to have long conversations with these guides and they all say that this is one of the best fruits for hydration and they eat it not just on the way up or at the peak but also while coming down too.
Watermelon is a favorite summer fruit that is refreshing and hydrating. It contains about 30 calories per 100 grams, making it an excellent choice for a low-calorie snack. The only problem with this fruit is that due to its heavy weight, it’s a bit difficult to carry around with the peal. So I refer to peel and cut and pack it with ice cubes to keep it cold. I have kept the peeled and cut watermelon with me for a maximum of 24 hours and it remained fresh and cold mainly due to the ice packs.
Health Benefits
- Hydration: Watermelon is made up of about 92% water, helping you stay hydrated. Especially very useful if you are out in the sun or traveling in hot and humid weather.
- Vitamins: It is rich in vitamins A and C, which are great for your skin and immune system.
How to Enjoy
Slice it up and eat it fresh, blend it into smoothies, or use it in salads. It’s also a fun addition to fruit skewers for parties!
Low-Calorie Fruits- Peaches
Peaches are juicy fruits that contain about 39 calories per 100 grams. They are not only sweet but also versatile in recipes. I like to enjoy peaches when I want something not very sweet just a mild sweet flavor.
Also, if a peach feels very firm to touch, it’s not ready to be consumed. I like my peaches a little soft and juicy to enjoy the flavor.
Peaches contain a reasonably high amount of purines hence I avoid eating peaches at night. Also, I eat a maximum of 2-3 peaches a day, and any more than they result in increasing my blood uric acid levels and causing a gout flare-up.
Health Benefits
- Vitamins: Peaches are a good source of vitamins A and C, which promote healthy skin.
- Fiber: They provide dietary fiber, which is important for digestion.
How to Enjoy
I just like to eat them fresh with skin as I enjoy munching on anything directly fresh from the farm. At times I do add them to my smoothies, or bake them into desserts. My younger loves to have a peach pie every now and then. I have also added grilled peaches to salads and my guests just loved it but I personally find that a lot of work and generally avoid doing it.
Low-Calories Fruits- Raspberries
Raspberries are small but mighty, with only about 52 calories per 100 grams. I can just keep on munching on them. They have the perfect sweet and sour flavor. My friends do make several recipes of them like Tarts, Sorbets, Tiramisu, Swirl Brownies, Lemonade, Jam or Crumbles. They make them regularly for our get-togethers, or even for kid’s parties.
I have tried making Tarts and both my kids are very fond of them. Just to keep the tarts on the healthier side, I replace several of the ingredients with healthier ingredients like replacing all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour and adding some rolled oats. Replace oil with nut butter and replace sugar with honey or dates. For filling instead of cheese I go with high-protein Greek yogurt and my kids have never been able to find any difference in taste. They just love it.
Health Benefits
- Fiber: Raspberries are high in fiber, which helps keep you full and aids digestion.
- Antioxidants: They contain powerful antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation.
How to Enjoy
I just love munching on them as a snack and I also add them to oatmeal, yogurt, or salads. They are also great for making jams or sauces. I frequently made raspberry tarts for my get-togethers.
Low-Calorie Fruits- Blackberries
Blackberries are similar to raspberries and contain about 43 calories per 100 grams. They are juicy and packed with flavor. But I don’t find them as often as raspberries in the supermarket near my home or even in my closest farmer’s market. This makes them a little difficult to source. My personal preference is always raspberries over blackberries but these do have a higher amount of vitamin K and manganese which is much needed for overall health of women.
These yummy berries have a sweet-tart taste and a soft, earthy texture. I can munch on any of the berries anytime, also I try keeping them frozen in my freezer, especially for baking or smoothies preparation. With their dark purple color, they add a pop of color to any meal or dessert! Enjoy them as a healthy indulgence.
I like to add any available fruit to my boring oatmeal bowl which I am forced to eat as it’s the fastest breakfast which is healthy and nutritious and also keeps me full till lunchtime.
Health Benefits
- Vitamins and Minerals: They are rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese, which are important for overall health.
- Heart Health: Blackberries may help lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
How to Enjoy
Eat them fresh, blend them into smoothies, or use them in baked goods. I prefer to top up my oatmeal or yogurt with these beautiful colorful berries. They also make a great topping for desserts!
Low-calorie Fruits- Oranges
Who doesn’t like to eat Oranges or enjoy orange juice? It’s one of the most refreshing juices; just 3-4 juicy oranges result in one full glass of orange juice. There is always orange juice available in my house. I make my fresh orange juice using my favorite Zulay Orange Squeezer. You can read all about it in “7 Powerful Benefits of the Cast Iron Zulay Orange Squeezer for Your Home”.
Oranges are well-known for their sweet taste and juicy texture, containing about 47 calories per 100 grams.
Health Benefits
- Vitamin C: Oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps protect against colds.
- Hydration: With a high water content, they help keep you hydrated. Its also very refreshing.
How to Enjoy
Eat them fresh, drink orange juice, or add them to salads for a burst of flavor.
Low-Calorie Fruits- Kiwi
Kiwi is a small oval-shaped fruit that contains about 61 calories per 100 grams. It has a unique taste that many people love. There are various types of kiwis available in the market, my favorite one is the golden one. I don’t enjoy green kiwi as it’s a bit sour in taste though it’s high in vitamin C but I prefer the sweet taste of golden kiwi. I enjoy golden kiwi just to munch or even in my smoothies. The only problem in Kiwi is that good quality golden kiwis come from New Zealand adding to air pollution as these are mostly air-flown. I am still searching for more locally-grown kiwi’s.
Health Benefits
- Vitamin C: Kiwi is high in vitamin C, which supports your immune system. It was even recommended by my doctor when I had frequent episodes of flu.
- Digestive Health: It contains enzymes that help with digestion. For me 3-4 kiwis a week, helps me with smooth motion passing.
How to Enjoy
Peel and eat them fresh, add them to fruit salads, or blend them into smoothies for a tropical twist.
Low-Calorie Fruits- Strawberries
Strawberries are not only sweet and delicious, but they also contain about 32 calories per 100 grams. Their bright color and taste make them a popular choice. But quite often the strawberries I pick up turn out quite sour so I am not a pro in picking up strawberries. Earlier my strawberries used to get spoiled very fast even in the fridge. But recently I found a hack to keep them fresh for a longer duration. I wash them and keep them in any open container like a plate directly in the fridge. All strawberries are kept individually without overlapping with one another. This way I can keep my strawberries fresh for up to 4-5 days.
Health Benefits
- Antioxidants: They are packed with antioxidants, which help fight off free radicals in your body. All doctors suggest having a serving of any kind of berries every day to improve your immunity. It has worked like a charm for my younger one.
- Heart Health: Eating strawberries may improve heart health by reducing cholesterol levels.
How to Enjoy
I just enjoy them fresh if they are sweet otherwise, I just chop them on top of my oatmeal or yogurt, or blend into smoothies with some honey. I also use them to top off my pancakes, especially for my kids. My younger one also likes to eat strawberries dipped in chocolate.
Low-Calorie Fruits- Guava
My entire childhood I have enjoyed this one fruit as this was grown locally in my town. We had huge farms of Guava and we could just walk in there and pluck and eat. No buying was required. None of the farm owners ever stopped kids from entering the farms and plucking a few guavas and enjoying. Several of them used to ask us about the taste and which guava we liked the best.
This is one fruit that can be consumed in both desert and savory ways. I like to enjoy it just fresh while my mother likes to cook it in a curry form.
100 grams of guava contains approximately 68 calories which is quite low. In general, one small guava fruit weighs around 200 gm and it’s good enough to have as a snack. Now days we even get seedless guava though my favorite is still with seed but you can take your pick as per your taste buds.
In my hometown, local farmers use guava leaves as an herbal tea and leaf extract as a supplement. Guava fruits are amazingly rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Low-Calorie Fruits- Papaya
My grandfather used to have frequent episodes of constipation and his go-to medicine was papaya. He used to love his Mexican spicy food and just couldn’t stay away from that. He will enjoy his dinner and morning will suffer. But he still never visited any doctor for constipation. He used to follow his grandparent’s routine, everyday morning on an empty stomach, he would eat one whole papaya and enjoy his time in the restroom. But he was healthy as a horse even at 80 years of age.
Even in my house, both me and my partner love to have papaya for a smooth body function. In general, most of the papayas I must have a yellow skin color not green as green is still raw and not ready to be consumed. We share half a papaya between us as kids don’t like it much.
Papayas contain a range of nutrients, such as antioxidants and potassium. Possible health benefits of eating papaya may include reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more but due to the high amount of potassium, I would not recommend this to be consumed by kidney patients. By the way, my sincere advice is to consult your doctor before consuming anything especially if you are suffering from any sickness at all.
Another best part of the papaya fruit is that it’s extremely easy to grow. We just throw away our papaya seeds in the garden and a few weeks down, we have a papaya tree. A few years ago, we had so many papaya trees in our garden that we had to cut some of them out. It did break my heart but my garden had started to look like a papaya farm so in the end I agreed to cut some of the trees.
Low-Calorie Fruits- Pineapple
While growing up I never enjoyed eating pineapple as I found it a bit strange in taste and it was very difficult to peel and cut too. My mother also bought this fruit very rarely so I was not much exposed to its versatile taste and amazing flavors. Nowadays if I want to have something really sweet instead of heading to a cake shelf, I go to a fruit shelf, especially pineapple. Nowadays near my work place, we get cut fruits on a wooden stick so no plastic waste too. This helps me towards my low plastic wastage target too.
Pineapple is a tropical fruit with a sweet and tangy flavor, containing about 50 calories per 100 grams. It’s a great addition to many dishes.
One of my Asian friends makes lovely sauces out of pineapple and they are spicy. I could never imagine that such a sweet fruit could be turned into a spicy sauce. She keeps these sauces in the house for up to 6-8 months without any chemical preservatives. We all get our sauce supply from her as she makes sauces of almost all fruits and vegetables. I have also noticed that having a few of these Asian sauces or pickles also helps me with my gut health.
Sustainability
As you all know I support a sustainable lifestyle and almost all my posts have some reference to it. Eating is a very important part of our daily life. So being eco-friendly in our ways of eating is very important to me. I just take few steps to ensure that I am generating very less or no plastic waste in my way of eating fruits.
- Buy and Eat Local
- I try my best to buy almost all my groceries at the local farmer’s market. It also gave me a chance to connect with local people and help in the local economy in whatever small way I can.
- I buy only fruits and vegetables grown locally as nature has plan for all of us humans to enjoy the food grown locally as it suits best for our health as per the weather.
- Buying locally grown stuff also helps in avoiding transportation pollution and keeps the cost low.
- No plastic bags while shopping
- I take my own reusable bags while shopping. This helps me to reduce my plastic bag consumption. You can read all about it “Powerful Daily Green Habits I Adopted for a Eco-Friendly Lifestyle – Series 2“.
- No waste
- I have a small composting unit in my backyard, it’s small but quite efficient and able to compost my entire house food waste.
These are just my way of living and I would like to learn from all of you. I am sure most of you know more than me and please feel free to enlighten me with your knowledge and daily habits.
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