Many of you have heard me state that the “formula” for weight control is maximizing protein and vegetable intake while minimizing carbs, fats and fruits. When people have come back at me with “Wait a minute, fruits are healthy for us”, I remind them that the “healthy” parts of fruit are the Vitamins and fiber, and those could be obtained by pills with no calories. Fruit contains sugar but some fruits are more sugar-packed than others.
Today we will explore APRICOTS and here is the nutritional content of this fruit:
| Amount Per 1 apricot (35 g)100 grams1 cup, halves (155 g)1 cup, sliced (165 g)1 cup, sliced (165 g) | |
| Calories 79 | |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0.6 g | 0% |
| Saturated fat 0 g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium 2 mg | 0% |
| Potassium 427 mg | 12% |
| Total Carbohydrate 18 g | 6% |
| Dietary fiber 3.3 g | 13% |
| Sugar 15 g | |
| Protein 2.3 g | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 27% | Calcium | 2% |
| Iron | 3% | Vitamin D | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | 5% | Cobalamin | 0% |
| Magnesium | 4% |
Now, here are the reported health benefits of Apricots:
- Low in calories. Apricots are low-calorie fruits, with only 17 calories per raw apricot. …
- High in antioxidants. …
- Promotes gut health. …
- Protects your heart. …
- Promotes eye health. …
- Strengthens bones. …
- Lowers the risk of anemia. …
- Boosts skin health.
Given the low caloric counts of Apricots and the potential health benefits, Apricots appear to be a good choice when you decide to reach for a fruit instead of that much more boring protein.
No songs about Apricots but given a potential benefit of improved “eye health”, here is “My Eyes Adored You” by Frankie Valli.
