What is the healthiest fruit?

[theAdviserMe]

Discounting fruits considered as exotic...what do you think is the healthiest fruit we have around...that could provide surge of energy for the whole stressful day?

Please share.

[Dan.Linehan]

Are leaves a fruit? I'm going with leaves.

[Fullcrum]

Tough one. Without going exotic?

Well if you want non-exotic, eating lots of berries (I love blueberries and strawberries) sounds like it'd give lots of fiber, sugar for energy, and antioxidants. Probably among the best fruits the temperate seasonal northern hemisphere can produce without greenhouses or special techniques.

I'd garner bananas are also good due to the high electrolyte content and the facts that they are common, cheap, and calorically dense for a fruit.

But green leaves are the best. And you can eat them in your backyard. I recently found lots of clover in my backyard so I'm picking it and eating it. Dandelions, really widespread, are also really good.

[Rose of Cairo]

I think the healthiest fruit is the one containing the nutrients you need now. Listen to your body, it'll tell you

[Barcs]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

But green leaves are the best. And you can eat them in your backyard. I recently found lots of clover in my backyard so I'm picking it and eating it. Dandelions, really widespread, are also really good.

You can eat clovers and dandelions? I was not aware of that. Which other leaves are good for consumption?

[Conan Stevens]

There is no ONE magic plant food, this is a silly idea.

Eat a range of fruits (inc the 'exotic' ones) and eat what your body thinks will taste nice at that point as Rose of Cairo said, just get in a good mix and you'll get the nutrients you need.

Fruits by definition have seeds inside them, vegetables don't, therefore leaves are not fruits.

[andrew112]

Here is a list of the healthiest fruits from most healthy to less healthier:

1.) raw lemons with the peel
2.) raw rhubarb
3.) frozen rhubarb, unprepared
4.) canned skinless apricots
5.) raw oranges with the peel
6.) raw elderberries
7.) raw gooseberries
8.) raw orange peel
9.) raw blackberries
10.) raw acerola (west indian cherry)

The list goes on much longer but I will stop here.

[TeddyP]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

But green leaves are the best. And you can eat them in your backyard. I recently found lots of clover in my backyard so I'm picking it and eating it. Dandelions, really widespread, are also really good.

Dandelions are pretty amazing nutritionally. Gotta make sure to get them when they are young though - although a bitter green to begin with, the older plants can get really bitter.

[Boreas]

Like people are saying, it depends on what nutrients you are looking for.

I would say look for something that is low in calories, high in fiber, doesn't get your blood sugar up, and is packed with vitamins.

You can compare nutrition facts for various fruits at this link here:
Side by Side Nutrition Facts Comparison

I simply chose oranges, red chili peppers, and papayas (would make a good fruit salad no?)

link

Strictly speaking, peppers are fruits, and while they may not make a good snack, they are packed with vitamins, and a healthy addition to most any meal.

[Dan.Linehan]

Originally Posted by Barcs

You can eat clovers and dandelions? I was not aware of that. Which other leaves are good for consumption?

Interesting article on this: The Edible Lawn - Plants For A Future

[Niamh]

Dates are supposed to be uber good for you.

[Fullcrum]

Originally Posted by andrew112

Here is a list of the healthiest fruits from most healthy to less healthier:

1.) raw lemons with the peel
2.) raw rhubarb
3.) frozen rhubarb, unprepared
4.) canned skinless apricots
5.) raw oranges with the peel
6.) raw elderberries
7.) raw gooseberries
8.) raw orange peel
9.) raw blackberries
10.) raw acerola (west indian cherry)

The list goes on much longer but I will stop here.

What? Raw rhubarb is poisonous. Rhubarb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The leaves are toxic.

Canned apricots? Um, no.

Raw lemon with peel? Haha.

Is this a joke?

[sbdiane]

I wouldn't eat anything growing on the lawn if I were you. Aside from pesticides and fertilizers most people use on their lawns, you also might worry about who has used it as a toilet recently.

If raw lemons with the peel are nutritious, you might find kumquats to be a better-tasting substitute. You eat the peels on those since that is were the sweetness is. But those are somewhat exotic so forget that idea.

I think cantelope is pretty healthy. Low in calories with some vitamin A.

How about going down to your farmer's market and buying whatever fruit looks delicious?

[andrew112]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

What? Raw rhubarb is poisonous. Rhubarb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The leaves are toxic.

Canned apricots? Um, no.

Raw lemon with peel? Haha.

Is this a joke?

The leaves of rhubarb are poisonous, not the stalk.

The list that I made is not a joke; it is information based off of nutritiondata.com.

Go here:

Better Choices for optimum health in Fruits and Fruit Juices

[Fullcrum]

That website has good data.

That said it's absolute crap for making decisions.

For example, #4, canned apricots, have a protein score of 29 - they lack methionine and cystine. There are vegan foods with far more protein than that. They don't even have protein data for their top food - lemon with peel. Besides, everyone knows canned food is not nearly as good as the fresh equivalent.

The website does not consider things like mineral composition, trace minerals, and complete amino acid scores as heavily as nutrient density.

Infact, I believe this list was compiled primarily on nutrient density.

But it's got accurate data at least.

Either way, the list is bollocks.

BTW, if you want nutrient density, you only have to look at this (Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Spinach, raw) to understand that it blows all that other stuff out of the water. I do not believe eating lemons with their peels is better for you then eating a banana or a goji berry or a blueberry.

[andrew112]

Originally Posted by Fullcrum

That website has good data.

That said it's absolute crap for making decisions.

For example, #4, canned apricots, have a protein score of 29 - they lack methionine and cystine. There are vegan foods with far more protein than that. They don't even have protein data for their top food - lemon with peel. Besides, everyone knows canned food is not nearly as good as the fresh equivalent.

The website does not consider things like mineral composition, trace minerals, and complete amino acid scores as heavily as nutrient density.

Infact, I believe this list was compiled primarily on nutrient density.

But it's got accurate data at least.

Either way, the list is bollocks.

BTW, if you want nutrient density, you only have to look at this (Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Spinach, raw) to understand that it blows all that other stuff out of the water. I do not believe eating lemons with their peels is better for you then eating a banana or a goji berry or a blueberry.

If you want to get good quality protein, just eat legumes. Besides, fruits and vegetables weren't meant to be used as the sole source of protein and amino acids.

The list is not bollocks.

Also, eating raw lemons with the peel is alot healthier than eating a banana, goji berry or blueberry, just as long as you only eat a lemon once in a while and not too often.

[Fullcrum]

Have you tried eating raw lemons with peel and notice any significant health benefits? Have you also tried other fruits and not noticed it?

[Calculusaurus]

Blueberries!

Wait... healthiest or tastiest?

[Lauxa]

This reminds me of a story from Victoria Boutenko's book, 12 Steps to Raw Food.

When they first went raw, her son wanted lots of blueberries and mangos. Her daughter wanted lots of figs, olives, and grapefruits.

Later, she went to a natural doctor and asked what foods would help with her son's diabetes. The doctor looked it up and said mangos and blueberries. Then she asked what would help with her daughter's asthma. The answer was figs, olives, and grapefruits.

So basically, what Rose says. Listen to your body.

[Fullcrum]

Lauxa, that's really interesting. The Boutenkos are awesome. I'm gonna have to listen to my body more often now .

[LifeIsAGame420]

The day is only stressful because of your perception of reality, addictions and learned behaviors. Free your mind, like in the matrix and you will gain the ultimate power.

[Conan Stevens]

Originally Posted by LifeIsAGame420

The day is only stressful because of your perception of reality, addictions and learned behaviors. Free your mind, like in the matrix and you will gain the ultimate power.

Lol, not having money to pay the bills is stressful and no amount of 'matrix power' mind clearing is going to help that.

Really some people take positive thinking too far - action is the answer, getting off your butt and doing something about any problem is how you reduce stress.


LAUXA

That is a great story and I bet it is 100% true, since I have been a professional athlete before I am in tune with my body and it tells me what to eat through the same mechanism, I can feel what would taste good for me at the time.

Though I do not (almost never) eat junk food so my body isn't confused by sugars and insulin crashes and adictive additives that processed foods have.