This article has been Fact-Checked by Kendall Kennedy MS, RD, RYT
Composing your weight loss diet plan can be confusing with all the food options. One option is cherries, are they good for weight loss?
A cherry is a red fruit, not a berry, that grows on trees. They are both cultivated and grow in the wild. Cherries are used for cooking and just eating them on their own as a snack.
Depending on your current diet cherries can be both good and bad for weight loss but for most people they will help weight loss. Find out the nutrients in them and how cherries compare to other popular food choices.
Calories in cherries
What sources calories come from matters for weight loss too but the total number in cherries offers helpful information too.
100 grams of cherries contains around 63 calories (1).
Many fruits and most vegetables are lower in calories but it is fair to say that cherries still contain a relatively low amount compared to many other foods.
57.8 of the calories above come from carbohydrates (16 g per 100 grams of which 2.1 g fiber). This makes cherries not that good for low-carb diets like for example the ketogenic diet.
As you will see, the macronutrients these calories come from matter too. Even so, in terms of total calories, cherries look relatively good.
Micronutrients in cherries
The first thing to look at is the amount of micronutrients in cherries.
Micronutrients are a group of nutrients your body absolutely needs to survive and thrive. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. These are involved in basically every aspect of your health, including weight loss.
100 grams of sweet cherries provides you with approximately (1):
- Vitamin C: 12% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Potassium: 6% of the DV
- Manganese: 4% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 3% of the DV
- Magnesium: 3% of the DV
- Copper: 3% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts. These are rather small amounts of vitamins and minerals compared with many other whole foods.
These amounts are always welcome but if you want to consume more vitamins and minerals, cherries are not the best food choice.
Cherries also contain antioxidants, substances that can help your body deal with oxidative stress. In particular, cherries contain substances called polyphenols which can benefit your health (2, 3).
Fiber in cherries for weight loss
Another very important factor for weight loss is the amount of fiber in your food.
Cherries contain around 2.1 grams of fiber per 100 grams.
That’s a good amount of fiber per 100 grams and this is a good thing.
Fiber has multiple benefits for weight loss. First of all, it feeds your microbiome, the microbes that live in your intestines. The health of your microbiome influences your body’s health and weight. Feeding it well is usually not a bad idea.
Fiber also helps you feel less hungry without adding a lot of calories to your diet. Hunger and cravings can be a big pitfall for people trying to lose weight, so avoiding this is a big plus.
With the amount of fiber in cherries you can reduce the time you spend craving for food.
Will cherries help you lose weight?
Cherries contain a relatively low number of calories, a nice amount of fiber, and a few vitamins and minerals in small amounts.
While you still need other foods for many other nutrients, you can say that cherries are typically good for weight loss.
By consuming more of them, you will likely eat less of foods that are not as good for losing weight. In turn, you could see positive results.
You can also use cherries as a weight-loss-friendly replacement for unhealthy foods.
On the flip side, you can gain a tiny amount of weight if you just add cherries on top of a suboptimal diet without making any other changes.
Additionally, there are cherry alternatives that are even more effective for weight loss too.
That being said, overall, cherries will be helpful for losing weight.
Can you eat cherries every day?
For most people eating cherries every day is not bad. Variety in your diet is generally a good principle. Cherries are also not that nutrient-dense so switching it up is a better idea for your health.
Exactly how many cherries you can eat every day depends from person to person. In general, cherries will not provide you with that many nutrients. That means this fruit should not play too big of a role in your diet.
Do cherries help you lose belly fat?
Targetting fat loss in a specific area like your belly is generally not possible. Not by eating more of a specific food or by doing a specific exercise. To lose belly fat you have to lose weight overall.
Since cherries can help you lose weight in general they can also help you lose belly fat once your body want to lose fat in that area.
Cherries vs other popular fruits for weight loss
You now know that cherries will most likely help you lose weight but how do they compare to certain other fruits? Find out how good cherries are for weight loss vs blueberries, grapes, strawberries, and cranberries.
Cherries vs blueberries
Blueberries are berries popular for their health benefits. If you look at calories, blueberries contain about the same amount. Blueberries contain around 57 calories per 100 grams vs the 63 calories per 100 grams of cherries (4).
In terms of fiber, these fruits are about the same. Cherries contain around 2.1 grams of fiber per 100 grams, blueberries 2.4. Blueberries do contain more vitamins and minerals than cherries.
In short, blueberries are likely better for weight loss than cherries if you look at these numbers.
Cherries vs grapes
Grapes are a popular berry to compare with cherries. Grapes are a bit higher in calories than cherries, 69 calories per 100 grams (5).
The amount of fiber in both of these fruits is a big point of difference that’s very important for weight loss. Grapes contain around 0.9 grams of fiber per 100 grams, cherries 2.1 grams. Grapes are slightly higher in vitamins and minerals.
Grapes are both higher in calories and a lot lower in fiber. This makes cherries a better choice for weight loss.
Cherries vs strawberries
Next, there are cherries vs strawberries. Strawberries are surprisingly a relatively big amount lower in calories than cherries, 32 calories per 100 grams (6).
Strawberries contain around 2 grams of fiber per 100 grams. The two are similar in vitamins and minerals contents.
Strawberries are generally a better choice for weight loss than cherries.
Cherries vs cranberries
Lastly, there are cherries vs cranberries. Cranberries are lower in calories, 46 calories per 100 grams vs the 63 calories per 100 grams of cherries (7).
Cranberries are a lot higher in fiber, 4.6 grams per 100 grams. In terms of vitamins and minerals they are very similar.
Cranberries will be more filling than cherries for a smaller amount of calories. That means that cranberries will most likely help you lose more weight than cherries.
Chart of cherries vs other popular fruits
The differences between these fruits can make a significant difference when it comes to losing weight. As you can see there are quite a few fruits better for weight loss than cherries
The amount of vitamins and minerals in the foods does matter for weight loss and health but you can’t simplify that in one number. You can check out the numbers for cherries (1), blueberries (4), grapes (5), strawberries (6), and cranberries (7) to compare.
| Values Per 100g | Cherries | Blueberries | Grapes | Strawberries | Cranberries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 63 calories | 57 calories | 69 calories | 32 calories | 46 calories |
| Fiber | 2.1 g | 2.4 g | 0.9 g | 2 g | 4.6 g |
Healthy combinations with cherries
Cherries make for a great snack on their own but they also combine great with other healthy foods. Here are some healthy dishes you can combine with cherries:
