According to the latest U.S.Dietary Guidelines, nearly 8 in 10 Americans don’t consume the recommended two cups of fruit per day. Bananas, apples, oranges, and grapes are some of the fruit we consume a lot. Stone fruits are an easy-to-love family of fruits with a lot of nutrition and flavor hidden out.
Stone fruits have thin skin, tender flesh and a tough stone in the center of the plant. During the late spring and summer months, you can find cherries and apricots at the farmers market, as well as mangos, plums, and peaches in the fall.
The primary fuel source for cycling is derived from stone fruits, which are a good source of sugars. Because the body is able to quickly digest the sugar found in fruit, all stone fruits are great to have 30 minutes before hopping on the bike.
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I need more convincing to consume more stone fruits. Read on for the dish from research and Megan Robinson, a certified sports dietitian.
Fruits that are the healthiest for you should be eating.
There are different types of stone fruit with different benefits. Cherries have more melatonin and have more flavonoids. The vitamins in mangos and necdotines are immune-supportive. Almonds, apricots, cherries, mangos, and plums are some of the most popular fruits. Fruits like apricot, plums, peaches, and mangos are good sources of immune-supportive carotenoids. Carotenoids and zeaxanthin are found in peaches, nectarines, and plums, which support eye health. The lowest amounts of sugar is found in peaches and nectarines.
Stone fruit has a whole host of health benefits, and each one has a slightly different nutrition value. According to the USDA, the nutrition facts per 1-cup serving of some of the most common raw stone fruits.
Peach nutrition facts:
- 65 calories
- 1.5 g protein
- 0.5 g total fat
- 15 g carbohydrates
- 2.5 g fiber
- 13 g sugar
- 6 mg vitamin C
- 188 mg potassium
- 345 µg beta carotene
- 203 µg lutein + zeaxanthin
Nectarine nutrition facts:
- 56 calories
- 1.5 g protein
- 0.5 g total fat
- 13.5 g carbohydrates
- 2 g fiber
- 11 g sugar
- 4 mg vitamin C
- 187 mg potassium
- 285 µg beta carotene
- 186 µg lutein + zeaxanthin
Cherry nutrition facts:
- 97 calories
- 1.5 g protein
- 0.5 g total fat
- 24.5 g carbohydrates
- 3 g fiber
- 20 g sugar
- 11 mg vitamin C
- 342 mg potassium
- 99 IU vitamin A
- 59 µg beta carotene
Plum nutrition facts:
- 76 calories
- 1 g protein
- 0.5 g total fat
- 19 g carbohydrates
- 2.5 g fiber
- 16.5 g sugar
- 16 mg vitamin C
- 259 mg potassium
- 314 µg beta carotene
- 120 µg lutein + zeaxanthin
Apricot nutrition facts:
- 79 calories
- 2.5 g protein
- 0.5 g total fat
- 18.5 g carbohydrates
- 3.5 g fiber
- 15 g sugar
- 17 mg vitamin C
- 427 mg potassium
- 3,180 IU vitamin A
- 1,800 µg beta carotene
Mango nutrition facts:
- 99 calories
- 1.5 g protein
- 0.5 g total fat
- 25 g carbohydrates
- 2.5 g fiber
- 22.5 g sugar
- 277 mg potassium
- 60 mg vitamin C
- 1,780 IU vitamin A
- 1,060 µg beta carotene
The benefits of permmons.
Robinson believes that athletes can benefit from stone fruits. This is what you will get:
A solid amount of energy
Robinson says stone fruits are a good source of natural sugars which are essential for athletes to maintain energy during training and adequate muscle and liver glycogen stores which power their rides.
Stone fruit can help you recover from training. Due to the varying fiber content of stone fruit, it may impact gut health during exercise if consumed too close to training or during a ride, so you might want to test out which fruits work best to avoid.
Fiber to support your gut and overall health
According to a study published in the journal mSystems, people who eat 30 or more different plants per week have better microbiomes than people who consume 10 or less. It is possible that this is due to the fact that different fruits and vegetables have different types and amounts of fiber and nutrition that can help feed the good bacteria in our gut. The stone fruit family has many members so you can mix it up.
Because stone fruits have a decent amount of fiber in one serving, they help you meet your daily recommended numbers of 25 to 28 grams for women and 31 to 24 grams for men. Fiber helps support your gut health, as it moves foods through the digestive tract, and research shows it can positively alter your gut microbiome.
According to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2018, a diet high in fiber helps to stave off disease, cutting risk of early death, and can also have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease.
Adding high-fiber foods to your diet is a great idea.
According to research from 2008, 70 percent of our immune system lives in our guts, so it’s related to your risk for colds and flu. There are other ways stone fruits can help feed your immunity.
Robinson says that the vitamins found in most stone fruits support a healthy immune system.
Lower blood pressure and reduced risk of cramps
While bananas seem to get all the glory, a cup of cherries can go toe to toe with a small banana on that front, and a cup of apricots actually delivers even more. It has been shown that this mineral can lower blood pressure and make you less likely to get injured.
The blood pressure-lowering abilities of stone fruits have been shown to be aided by the presence of anthocyanins, which is found in cherries.
How to prevent leg pains from ruining your ride.
Is it difficult to sleep? Pop some cherries instead of taking a sleeping pill Research shows that eating cherries can help sleep. Robinson says cherries are a great stone fruit source. Certain foods and supplements can play a role in the body’s sleep-wake cycle because they contain melatonin, a hormone that the body produces. Montmorency cherries offer the largest dose of melatonin.
Reduced inflammation
Studies show that consuming stone fruits may lead to less chronic inflammation, a reaction within the body that studies suggest plays a part in heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some autoimmune diseases, lung disease, and beyond.
cherries and plums are found in dark red, purple, and blue fruits and have anti-Inflammatory properties.
Inflammation-Calming Foods for Longevity are inflammatory.
Beyond eating at their fresh, juicy best as-is or using dried stone fruit as midride fuel (instead of a gel, sports drink, or chews) for any training ride over 90 minutes, here are 10 more ideas for how to add stone fruit serving to your meal plan.
- Slice and toss peaches or nectarines into green- or grain-based salads or fruit salads
- Dice any stone fruit to use as a topping for oatmeal, cereal, or yogurt
- Blend fresh or frozen stone fruit into smoothies
- Thinly slice and use instead of jam as part of your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bagels, or toast
- Grill or roast peaches or nectarines and top with a scoop of Greek yogurt and a few sprigs of fresh mint
- Stir diced stone fruit into quick bread, muffins, or pancake batter
- Dice peaches, nectarines, cherries, or mangos and fold into guacamole or salsa for an appetizer dip or garnish for tacos, burrito bowls, chicken, steak, pork or any fish or seafood
- Blend frozen stone fruit with a frozen banana and a splash of milk, then freeze, for a nutrient-packed ice cream alternative
- Add dried cherries, prunes, or apricots to homemade energy bites, granola bars, or trail mix
- Use any chopped stone fruit as the base for a crumble, crisp, or pie
The benefits of fresh produce.
Better gut health, supported immune system, blood pressure benefits, and reduced inflammation levels are among the benefits of stone fruits. They are sweet, versatile and downright delicious. Adding one serving of stone fruit per day to your menu is a good idea because they are fresh when they’re in season and canned, frozen, or dried outside of prime time.
A Des Moines, Iowa-based writer and level one sommelier, Walsh balances her love of food and drink with her passion for fitness At least tries! Her writing has appeared in Runner’s World and Fitness Magazine, as well as on Shape.com, Eat This.com, and more.
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