Why are people so down on fruit these days?

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Bursting with vitamins and enzymes and fibre, yet I’m reading more and more on Mumsnet and elsewhere about the insidious dangers of unbridled fruit consumption. A Mumsnetter once wrote that a poster way as well eat a bag of Haribo as juice up a load of fruit.

AIBU to think that a punnet of strawberries is still a pretty good thing to put in your body?

I don’t think fruit is evil. But I do think a lot of fruit and vegetables have been selectively bred and it’s changed them massively:

How fruits and vegetables looked before domestication

Personally, I can’t handle a lot of fructose, even if it comes via whole fruit. Too much and I get heat spots.

I know a mum with two kids, both under the age of 10 who needed fillings in their teeth. She said they needed to cut down on eating fruit as it has acid and can cause decay. But I know that her kids eat a load of sweets and she didn't mention cutting down on eating all that shit. I think some people are horribly misinformed about stuff like that. Cut out the sugary shit and keep the fruit.

We had a huge glut of strawberries last week it was great I'm really missing them this week only a punnet so far. The gooseberries are good but not the same

I’m no expert but - Are people really not eating something with lots of vitamins and goodness because it might cause... tooth problems?

There's no 'might' about it.

As with all things, moderation is the key

(Most) Fruit is full of sugar, and sugar is a major problem at the moment because of its role in obesity.

When people became more aware of the amount of sugar in snacks and drinks, many moved to "healthy" alternatives. The trouble is, these alternatives still contain huge amounts of sugar. You can dress it up as "natural" sugar, but it's still sugar. Lots of it.

Eating fruit in moderation is fine, but think of it as a treat in the same way you would a chocolate bar or a can of Coke.

I can only really afford one or two packs of fruit a week if I got one of strawberries, banana, apples, oranges, grapefruit, and raspberries for example, I'd have to miss a meal or two off my food shop.

I know quite a lot of people whose children have had fillings. They all did one or more of the following:

-milk in a bottle overnight (toddlers)
-juice in a bottle or sippy cup to be sucked all day
-lots of raisins, dried fruit, & fruit snacks (roll-up type)
-lots of crisps
-variable brushing habits

Having a wedge of melon with breakfast isn’t the issue, it’s the constant snacking—if you’re eating or sipping juice all the time, your teeth don’t have a chance to recover.

Sneaky we are the same, its just too expensive and if you get a dodgy batch its such a waste of money. I buy frozen fruit for porridge and cereal thats good value. Tinned grapefruit is good too.

Limbo I buy tinned but that has even more sugar in!

Fruit is still sugar and still spikes insulin so minimal fruit is best. When I had pre diabetes symptoms I was shaking after 100ml of pure orange juice, so yeah it spikes insulin way too high.

I can only really afford one or two packs of fruit a week sad if I got one of strawberries, banana, apples, oranges, grapefruit, and raspberries for example, I'd have to miss a meal or two off my food shop.

your post summarises how difficult it is to eat healthily when you're poor. It should be read by all those politicians trying to convince people to eat better - the sugar tax is not the way to go! They've got the wrong end of the stick completely!

I was about to say the same as sneaky. Fruit is really expensive. I would love to buy more on a weekly basis but just can't afford it - for example a punnet of strawberries is all I could stretch to this week.

Our old house had a few established fruit trees in it and on a good year we would get loads of free fruit. Definitely the way to go if you can afford a small fruit tree as it pays back over the years (assuming you don't then get forced to move...)

BestBefore for next year I'm trying to find the money for an allotment so I can at least try and grow my own fruit?

A community orchard would be great!

Using my above example, in say Morrisons - 2 for £3 on fruit packs but that's £9 for those I listed - which is half my weekly food budget. On fruit.

The problem is so many people can't eat it in moderation eg they might eat 4 bananas not one. if you eat one there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. An apple a day keeps the doctor away is not wrong either but for some people if they have very sweet modern fruit it can tempt them towards sweets etc.

The link above to old and new fruits is interesting. They could also have done the bilberries we used to pick in season on the moors with today's US style bassive bluberries or the wild strawberries we hunted for in the countryside with today's huge cultivated strawberries.

Nearly every bit on healthy eating will have people warning about the dangers of eating too much fruit. I've never really understood the dangers exactly but seems safer to eat chocolate instead.

It's definitely not safer to eat chocolate.

People consume way to much sugar, not even realising it, there are hidden sugars in loads of foods and the diabetes wont show up until it's too late or nearly too late, fortunately I have turned ny diet around but I was heading for diabetes and it came on so sudden after a stress event (As often happens)

I eat more veggies over fruit but I'd never consider fruit a 'treat' (fucking hate that word in relation to food)

Antioxidants, fibre, vitamins, minerals: look at the damn fruit in context than just focusing on the naturally-occuring sugars

I eat about 5 portions of fruit for lunch each day, plus a fruit yogurt.

Since I don't eat sandwiches/crisps or any of the other stuff that used to have a place in my lunch box, I've lost weight.

I mean I wouldn’t categorise fruit on the same level of unhealthy snacks as chocolate and crisps.

I eat a lot of fruit - mainly watermelon and berries, and I have still managed to have a low, stable blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight. As in I’m a healthy size 6/8, no weight OR health concerns. I buy the fruit boxes from M&S, so my portions are controlled.

I wouldn’t say that eating fruit is a ‘naughty treat’ at all! definitely not indulging.

Yes it may have fructose in but it’s so so good for you. Eat it whole (not in a smoothie) and you get so much goodness. I have 3/4 portions for breakfast and usually a couple more throughout the day. Plus lots of salad and veggies.

Lefroy

Yes, it makes a great combination. Not used much in the UK. You can freeze it too. Its also good to use strawberry and rhubarb instead of apple in a crumble.

www.google.ca/amp/www.geniuskitchen.com/amp/recipe/strawberry-rhubarb-crisp-126538

Really good too.

The best time have fruit (for your teeth) is as pudding. Then drink some water afterwards. My DC all do this and have perfect teeth.

Tooth brushing all important surely. I grew up on Coco pops and Nutellawhite bread sandwiches. My mother sprinkled sugar on mashed banana.. one filling @31. My dad insisted on tooth brushing.

Obviously I don't advocate the above any own DC would faint if they knew my sordid past!! They have two portions of fruit with porridge in the morning and a piece or two later in the day, usually with cheese/nuts/Greek yoghurt.

I do most of my shopping at Tesc as it is near me.
I have found that the fruit is crap, never ripe and ready to eat, the worst is strawberrys, plums and apricots.
I understand that a lot of fruit is stored for up to a year in vast silos with some kind of gas pumped in to stop it ripening, hence the crap taste.
When I lived in London as a child we could buy fruit at the local market that was perfect for eating.
I think we are been taken for a ride by the big supermarkets who are not bothered by what the fruit taste like but how long a shelf life it has.