The Grape Debate

The Grape Debate

The Grape Debate

In the last few weeks I have had a few clients ask me if they can eat grapes. Some had been told they could only eat them if they were frozen so they didn’t eat too many, some were told that grapes will make you gain weight, grapes are full of sugar…….WTF!

The people giving this advice will happily flog you a box of processed cereal bars or a shake full of sugar, but god forbid if you put a grape in your mouth!

FYI no one got overweight because they ate too many grapes!

This is also why so many people are so confused about what they should or shouldn’t be eating. There are so many mixed messages about what is “good” and what is “bad” it is no wonder the majority of us are overweight and spend our lifetime on a “diet”.

So I thought I would do a little blog about grapes, grapes are amazing little balls of awesomeness. 100g of grapes contains 66 calories which are packed full of the following:

Vitamin C

Which helps the body fight infection, helps your teeth, bones, gums and blood vessels. It also acts as an antioxidant.

Vitamin K

Which helps support healthy bones and aids in blood clotting.

Potassium

This helps in organ, muscle, tissue, cell and heart functions.

Iron

Is super important for the formation of red blood cells and also helps in moving oxygen around your body.

Fibre

Aids in digestion, keeping you regular! It can help to reduce blood cholesterol and may lower the risk of heart disease.

Comparison

If you compare 100g Grapes to Go Ahead Yogurt breaks, Weight Watchers Chocolate mini rolls and Slimming world Hifi bars, what do you think contains more calories, fat and sugar?

PER 100G GRAPES PER 2 WW CHOC MINI ROLLS PER 2 GO AHEAD YOGURT BREAKS PER 2 20G HIFI BARS
CALORIES

66

160

144

146

FAT

0.1

2.7

3.6

3

SATURATED FAT

0

1.6

1.6

1.8

CARBOHYDRATE

15.4

12.8

26.4

25

SUGAR

15.4

9.8

12.6

14.2

SUGAR IN TSP

3.8 TSP

2.4 TSP

3.1 TSP

3.5 TSP

PROTEIN

0.4

0.9

1.8

1

Grapes have the lowest calories, fat and saturated fat.

The grapes do have the most sugar, BUT you have to look at the food as a whole, they also contain all those lovely antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre that our bodies naturally cry out for.

When you eat grapes you don’t generally end up eating a full punnet, there isn’t that sugar/fat mix that is like a drug. Where as if you eat a processed bar that contains fat and sugars, you are more inclined to want another and another due to the fat/sweetness. In the food diaries that I analyse I see this a lot, people eating the “low fat” and “healthier” versions of food will, 9 times out of 10 end up eating more of that “low fat” and “healthier” version then the normal version.

 

Eat grapes, eat fruit, enjoy it! Eat a healthy, balanced diet and try and step away from the sweet snacks and “healthy” chocolate/bars, don’t replace one bad habit with another.

My final thought is no one got overweight by eating grapes!

 

 

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