A fruit salad bowl looks extremely tempting. The various colors, textures, and smells are so inviting. And having a bowlful of this goodness makes you feel so healthy, right? But don’t rush to mix all the fruits you have at hand. There are certain things you need to keep in mind while mixing fruits. But before that, one thumb rule: DON’T MIX FRUITS WITH OTHER FOODS.
Fruits should be consumed as a snack on their own.
All fruits are not the same. They look different and taste different. They are different in their composition too. Fruits can be divided into 4 groups:
- Acidic fruits
- Sub-acidic fruits
- Sweet fruits
- Melons
Due to the different compositions, these types differ in their digestion time. Consuming fruits from the different groups leads to delay in digestion and subsequent fermentation in the gut. This can lead to gas and bloating. Improper digestion also leads to improper uptake of nutrients.
Let us see what these categories mean.
- Acidic fruits: Gooseberries, cherries, strawberries, tangerines, orange, sweet lime, lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, and pomegranate are considered to be Acid Fruits. These take around 20-30 minutes to digest. These are rich in fiber too.
- Sub Acid fruits: Fruits like papaya, peach, apple, grapes, mango, kiwi, lychee, and pear are said to be Sub Acid fruits. These take around 30 to 40 minutes for digestion.
- Sweet fruits: Banana, chikoo, mango, custard apple, figs, raisins, and dates are sweet fruits. Sweet fruits are high in sugar and take a longer time to digest.
- Melons: Watermelon and muskmelon fall under this category. Melons are mostly water and are quickly digested.
Good combinations:
- Acid and sub-acid fruits
- Sub-acid and sweet fruits
- Melons
Mixing fruits any other way is not advisable. You can bend the rule sometimes, but it may affect your digestion.
For further queries regarding your Diet and Nutrition please consult
By Dt. Sarika Apre Nair
