On Monday, we wrote about how snacks can derail a healthy diet. Eating healthy snacks between meals can help you hit your weight and health goals more easily.
We often write about the benefits of fruit. Not only is fruit filled with vitamins, minerals and nutrients that aid health, but it’s also packed with fiber. Fiber improves your gut health and keeps you full to help you avoid unhealthy snacks between meals.
But, we rarely discuss the fact that some fruits are rich with protein. When we think of protein, we mostly think of animal products and maybe tofu. You might think of legumes and some nuts. But some fruits can be good sources of protein. Protein helps you stay full, grow muscle and meet your daily needs. Eating high-protein fruit can be a great option if you are looking for healthy snacks and want to avoid feeling hungry!
“While fruits are not typically known for being high in protein compared to other food groups like meat or legumes, a few fruits contain notable amounts of protein,” says Amy Fox, a certified nutritionist.
Guava has the highest amount of protein of any fruit. A cup has 4.2 grams. It also has 112 calories and 23.6 grams of carbs but with 8.9 grams of fiber to balance it out. It has a GI score of 12 and is a low GI fruit as it won’t upset your blood sugar.
Pomegranates are coming into season. They can be an expensive fruit. But they tend to be less expensive during the winter when they are in season. They are packed with antioxidants and are often called a superfood. They are a great source of potassium and electrolytes. They also have three grams of protein per cup!
Jackfruit has 2.8 grams of protein per cup. It has a meat-like texture that makes it a great stand-in for pulled pork or chicken for vegetarians and an excellent way to get protein. But be aware that a cup of pork has 33 grams of protein, so it’s not a perfect substitute.
Avocado is a favorite fruit of so many. It’s delicious sliced in salads, in smoothies or on wraps. Of course, most people’s favorite way to eat avocado is as guacamole. While it’s high in fat, it’s the healthy form of fat. And it’s high in fiber. To top it off, it has 2.7 grams of protein. The protein, fiber and fat will keep you full for hours if you enjoy homemade guacamole with carrots or celery. You don’t need carb-heavy chips when you have such a flavorful dip!
While you might not expect citrus fruit to be high in protein, grapefruit packs 2.4 grams of protein into each fruit. Some people love grapefruit as it is. For others, it’s too tart to be eaten straight out of the skin with a spoon. Obviously, we don’t recommend covering it in sugar! Instead, if you want to soften the flavor of grapefruit, add it to salads with other strong flavors. It will bring a citrus bite while being tempered by the flavors around it!
A cup of sliced apricots is a sweet snack that’s a real treat! Additionally, it has 2.3 grams of protein. People will point out that dried apricots retain their protein. That’s true. But, it’s very easy to forget serving sizes with dried fruit and overeat.
If you are interested in veganism, you’ll want to get protein from other sources like legumes and tofu. But fruit is a wonderful way to supplement your diet! By picking the right fruit, you can get plenty of protein and stay full and satisfied between meals.
