Why you shouldn't get carried away with fruit and berry juices in summer: Svitlana Fus answers

The fruit and berry season has already begun. It is in the summer, when fresh sweet fruits ripen, that people actively add such products to their diet.

But it's important to understand what effect berries and fruits actually have on the body and how much of them you can eat. Famous Ukrainian nutritionist Svitlana Fus (dietolog.fus) shared her tips on this topic on her Instagram page.

Fruits and berries are probably the most favorite plant foods in the fall and summer compared to vegetables. They, like vegetables, contain vitamins and minerals, water, ascorbic acid and antioxidants, and dietary fiber. But fruits and berries are sweeter.

It is the content of simple carbohydrates – glucose and fructose – that give this sweetness that limits their amount in the daily diet.

The explanation is simple:

The more simple carbohydrates in our diet, no matter what source they come from, the more likely they are to be converted into fats. Fats are known to be stored in the depot, which not only increases the size of our clothes but also harms our health.

Therefore, the expert does not recommend getting carried away with fruit and berry juices.

Firstly, the amount of simple carbohydrates in a glass of fruit juice is higher than you can get from the recommended daily intake of fruit. For example, one apple can produce 50-70 ml of juice, so there will be more than one apple in a glass of juice. Especially if the juice also contains sugar.

Secondly, when juicing fruits and berries, a valuable part is removed – dietary fiber. In the summer, it is much more useful to consume smoothies made from a mixture of vegetables and herbs with a small addition of fruits and berries.

You can eat any fruit and berries. It is important to know the measure. The ratio of vegetables to fruit and berries in a balanced diet should be about 2:1. If the norm of vegetables is 400 – 500 g, then you can eat 200 – 250 g of fruits and berries.

A variant of strawberry smoothie by Iryna Shabanova (cookingwithlove_18). The idea was published on her Instagram page.

Ingredients:

• strawberries - 150 g
• cream 15% - 50 ml

Method of preparation:

1. Beat everything with a blender.

2. Pour the smoothie into a glass.

3. Optionally, add 0.5 tsp of honey.