Summers almost here…and with that…comes the best (debatable, I know) fruits to Australia!! I’m talking mangos, cherries, grapefruit, figs, currants, grapes, mangos again….!

So, the question is, can you eat too much of these delicious fruits?

As per the Australian Dietary Guidelines outlines, 5-6 serves per day of fruit is recommended for the average Australian.

Now, this does NOT mean that it is the MAXIMUM intake per person per day. In fact, the Australian Dietary Guidelines merely outline the MINIMUM intake per food group. This means, that 5 pieces of fruit is the minimum recommended daily intake for the AVERAGE Australian. Now I know most of you reading this are far above average ;)…that means, this recommended intake is the minimum, so what is your maximum? Is there one? Can you eat too many mangos this summer?

Here’s the thing with consuming more than the recommended daily intake. You can have 7, 8, 9, pieces of fruit…but what are you giving up in order to (over) consume delicious produce? What I am talking about is your macronutrients and micronutrients. If you are consuming 7-10 pieces of fruit in a day, and you are wanting to remain within your macronutrients (overall energy intake, proteins, carbs and fats), then fruit can seem like a good option. Low calorie, low carb (high in natural sugars), but, in order to remain within your daily energy intake, you may need to cut out other food groups within your carbohydrates such as vegetables, potatoes, rice, bread etc. in order to consume large quantities of fruit. This means you will lack in micronutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. Whilst fruit does have a diverse range of vitamins and minerals, they cannot suffice all the micronutrients we need to keep a stable equilibrium (happy gut on the inside). I like to go off this rule: avoid consuming so much of one food group that it compromises another. So if I wish to consume more than 5 pieces of fruit in one day, I may have to give up some of my veggies later on…or even some rice, so that I can remain within my daily caloric intake.

 Now, in saying all of this…the answer to the original question ‘can you eat too much fruit’, I dare say is yes. This is reliant on the fact that most individuals would like to meet their daily energy and nutrient requirements within their range, and by doing so, need to ensure there is balance between food groups, not over intake of one to compromise another. This doesn’t mean on the odd occasion you can eat 7-10 mangos in one day, just try not to do this consecutively everyday over summer…(I am trying to tell myself this mainly). Now all this talking about mangos got me craving one…brb…*eats 10 mangos*.

- Bec