This article has been Fact-Checked by Kendall Kennedy MS, RD, RYT
Eating the right foods is key when trying to get rid of unwanted pounds. Replace some of your unhealthy foods with these 29 best fruits for weight loss.
Fruit contains nutrients that can be beneficial for weight loss like fiber, water and micronutrients.
Because of this and their limited calorie content, they are a better option than most processed foods. By replacing some of the unhealthy pieces of your diet with fruit you will most likely lose some weight.
Do keep in mind not to take this to the extreme like for example the fruit diet. Fruit does not provide every nutrient you need to be healthy and lose weight, variety is key.
Without further ado, here are 29 of the best fruits for weight loss.
1. Lemon
The absolute number one on this list is lemon. This fruit is low in calories with about 29 calories and 2.8 grams of fiber per 100 grams (1).
Lemons also have a great score on the glycemic index, 25. The glycemic index is a measurement of how much food alters blood glucose levels. Food that takes your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster can negatively affect your health and weight loss.
Besides that lemon can also provide you with a great amount of vitamin C.
Most people probably don’t plan on snacking on lemons. You can include more lemon into your day for example by flavoring with your daily water intake with it.
2. Lime
A close second is lime with single-digit differences in calories. They contain about 30 calories per and 2.8 grams of fiber 100 grams (2).
Lime is very similar to lemon both in terms of calories and vitamin contents. You can combine the two with water for a tasty, more nutrient-dense alternative to water.
3. Strawberry
Berries are a great idea in general. They are generally a great source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and a low source of calories.
Strawberries are no different. 32 calories and 2 grams of fiber per 100 grams make them a low-calorie medium fiber fruit (3). This makes strawberries a great fruit for weight loss.
They are incredibly delicious on their own but also great combined with some yogurt or oatmeal.
4. Papaya
Papaya is the orange fruit with many black seeds. This fruit is not the most popular one on this list but it can make a great addition to your weight loss diet.
Papaya contains about 39 calories per 100 grams of which 1.8 grams of fiber (4).
The most popular way to eat papayas is raw, on their own, but they also make a great addition to dishes like salads and smoothies.
5. Peach
Most fruits are great sources of vitamin A and C. Peaches are no exception to this.
Their calorie content is also very weight loss friendly with about 39 per 100 grams of which 1.5 grams of fiber (5).
Peaches are great as a snack on their own but you can also add them to other meals like for example salads.
6. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe is the next kind of melon on this best fruits for weight loss list.
Its nutrient content is similar to watermelon but with a slightly bigger amount of calories. Cantaloupe comes down to about 34 calories and 0.9 grams of fiber per 100 grams (6).
A great combination is cantaloupe with some of your favorite ham. This might sound strange for some but don’t write it off before you’ve tried it!
7. Watermelon
Watermelons are low in calories with about 30 per 100 grams. They also contain a great amount of water which helps you reach your daily fluid intake goal and feel fuller.
In fact, watermelon is mostly water, even its fiber content is rather low with 0.4 grams per 100 grams (7).
Watermelon also contains some micronutrients like antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C and moderate amounts of other nutrients.
Watermelon makes for a great summer snack but you can also implement it as a great weight loss snack all year around.
8. Blackberries
Blackberries are a kind of berry both cultivated and found in the wild a lot.
Blackberries contain about 43 calories per 100 grams of which 5.3 grams of fiber (8).
You can eat these berries on their own but they also combine great with dishes like yogurt, oatmeal, and smoothies.
9. Cranberries
The next berry on this list of the best fruits for weight loss are cranberries.
Cranberries contain about 46 calories per 100 grams of which 4.6 grams of fiber (9).
Cranberries can be eaten like the other berries but they are also often processed into cranberry juice, cranberry sauce, cranberry jam, or just dried.
In general you want to stick to raw cranberries if you are trying to lose weight.
10. Oranges
Like a lot of other citrus fruits, oranges are a nice source of fiber and vitamin C.
At the same time they are on the low side in calories with about 49 per 100 grams and with a decent amount of fiber, 2.4 grams (10).
Some people immediately think about their orange juice in the morning. However, that’s a classic weight loss mistake.
By only consuming the juice and not the fiber in oranges you make it easy for yourself to consume a lot of calories without actually feeling fuller. This increases the possibility of eating too much later. On top of that many orange juice brands add sugar and other sweeteners to their drinks.
That’s why you generally want to avoid orange juice when trying to lose weight.
11. Raspberries
Raspberries come in different colors but red raspberries are generally the most popular.
Raspberries contain about 52 calories per 100 grams of which 6.5 grams of fiber (11).
The amount of fiber in raspberries is very high compared to most fruits which makes them great for reducing hunger and feeling full.
12. Apricot
Apricots are fruit that comes from a tree that thrives in drier climates.
This of course isn’t a problem in these times. Apricots with their 48 calories and 2 grams of fiber per 100 grams are available in most parts of the world (12).
Apricots also contain a nice amount of vitamin A , C and antioxidants.
13. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a popular food in the dieting and weight loss world. This is partly because of its presence in extreme diet plans like for example the military diet.
100 grams of grapefruit contains about 42 calories, 1.6 grams of fiber, and a nice amount of vitamin A and C (13).
Grapefruit certainly deserves its name as a weight loss friendly fruit. You can certainly eat this on its own but it is also a great addition to other dishes.
14. Nectarine
Nectarines are closely related to peaches but they still vary enough to deserve their own spot on this list.
This fruit contains about 44 calories and 1.7 grams of fiber per 100 grams (14). On the vitamin and mineral side it is a bit lacking compared to other fruits on this list.
However, they are still a great food to fill you up without adding too many calories to your daily diet.
15. Plum
Plums are a fruit with many different species so depending where you are you will get a slightly different version.
Even with this in mind there is a general estimation of how many calories there are in 100 grams of plums, more or less 46 calories of which 1.4 grams of fiber (15).
Plums are also a bit lacking in the vitamin and mineral department but they can still help you feel less hungry and make weight loss easier.
16. Pear
Pears are a fruit that gets consumed worldwide in multiple variants.
They contain around 58 calories per 100 grams, a nice amount of fiber, 3.1 grams, but not that many micronutrients compared to other fruits and vegetables (16).
There are multiple ways you can consume a pear but if you’re looking to lose weight it’s better to stick to its raw form.
17. Apple
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. At least that’s how the saying goes.
In reality apples are not as magical as the saying but that’s a big reputation to live up to.
Apples are still a good weight loss fruit because of their 2.4 grams of fiber and 52 calories per 100 grams but in the micronutrient department, they are rather lacking compared to other fruits and vegetables (17).
In one study, 49 women were randomly chosen to add either three apples, three pears, or three oat cookie, with the same amount of calories and fiber, per day for 10 weeks. The group of women who ate the apples lost 2 pounds (0.91 kg) and the pear group 1.6 pounds (0.84 kg), the oat group’s weight did not change (18).
18. Elderberries
Elderberries are not the most popular fruit on this list but they are a great weight loss fruit.
Elderberries contain about 73 calories per 100 grams of which 7 grams of fiber (19).
Uncooked elderberries and other parts of the plant like leaves, twigs, bark, and roots are not recommended for consumption (20).
However, by cooking elderberries you remove the unwanted substances and that makes them suited for consumption.
19. Blueberries
Like most berries, blueberries are a great weight loss fruit.
With their 57 calories per 100 grams and nice amounts of vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, and 2.4 grams of fiber they can be a great addition to your diet (21).
Blueberries also contain certain polyphenols, a class of chemical substances, that can be very beneficial for your health.
20. Pineapple
Pineapples are another tasty fruit option that needs to be on this list.
With about 50 calories per 100 grams of which 1.4 grams of fiber pineapple is a great choice over other processed foods (22).
Pineapples also contain a big amount of vitamin C, manganese and antioxidants.
21. Guava
Guava is a tropical fruit that contains a great amount of fiber.
Guava contains about 68 calories per 100 grams of which 5.4 grams of fiber (23).
Besides fiber guava is also high in vitamin C, and it has nice amounts of potassium and folate.
22. Kiwi Fruits
Kiwi fruits are those fruits with a brown skin with green or yellow flesh inside.
You can add them to salads, eat them on their own, juice them or use them in baked things.
100 grams of kiwi contains a nice amount of fiber, 3 grams, a relatively low amount of 61 calories, and big amounts of vitamin C and K (24).
23. Cherries
Even though it might be counterintuitive cherries are not berries. Most people associate cherries with all these dessert recipes but if you eat them on their own they are a great fruit for weight loss.
100 grams of cherries contains about 63 calories and 2.1 grams of fiber (25).
They don’t contain the most micronutrients but they still contain the fiber and water you can expect from fruit.
24. Mango
Mangos have a rather sweet taste. You can also notice this in the very slightly bigger amount of calories per 100 grams, 65 calories of which 1.8 grams of fiber (26).
The slightly higher amount of calories is not something to be too worried about. Mango will still be a better option than a lot of processed snacks.
Like a lot of the fruits on this list mango has a nice amount of vitamin C and a little amount of vitamin A too.
25. Figs
Figs might not be consumed as much in every part of the world but it’s still a fruit that can be beneficial for weight loss.
With about 74 calories per 100 grams the energy content is getting a bit higher.
However, figs are still a nice option for increasing your fiber intake with 2.9 grams per 100 grams (27).
26. Pomegranate
Pomegranates are fruits that grow on a shrub. The outer skin is generally thick and not for consumption but inside there are many seeds. These are the edible part of the fruit.
Pomegranate contains about 83 calories per 100 grams of which 4 grams of fiber (28).
Pomegranate juice is a popular way to consume more pomegrante. However, when you are trying to lose weight you generally want to avoid liquid calories like pomegranate juice.
27. Grapes
Grapes contain resveratrol, a substance that shows very promising results in terms of aging.
Unfortunately the number of grapes you would have to consume to get the amounts used in studies you would have to consume a lot. A lot.
However small amounts of grapes can be just as useful for weight loss. Their calorie count of 69 calories per 100 grams is low compared to a lot of processed snacks and they can provide you with some extra vitamin C and vitamin K.
Grapes are rather low in fiber compared to most of the other options one this list with 0.9 grams per 100 grams (29).
28. Banana
Bananas are slightly higher in calories than other fruits and vegetables but they make up for it with fiber and nutrients content. The greener you eat them the more fiber and fewer absorbable calories they contain.
You can’t rely on bananas alone for potassium, vitamin B6, manganese, and vitamin c but they will help you come closer to your daily requirements.
Generally bananas contain around 89 calories and 2.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams (30).
29. Avocado
To some people this may come as a surprise but avocados are indeed considered a fruit.
Their downside is that they do contain a relatively high amount of calories, about 160 calories per 100 grams. The thing is that these calories are on the one hand the big amount of fiber, 6.7 grams, in them and on the other hand mostly healthy fats (31).
Those things combined makes avocado a great weight loss fruit in spite of its calorie content.
Does fruit help you lose weight?
The unloved but needed answer is “it depends”. If you add fruit on top of your current diet you might actually gain weight.
However if you start replacing higher calorie, processed snacks with fruit, chances are pretty big you will start to see weight loss results and feel fuller.
Weight loss is often more about making smarter choices instead of adding foods and routines.
How much fruit should you eat a day to lose weight?
The next question becomes how much fruit should you eat a day.
Again, it depends. You don’t need to eat any fruit to lose weight but it can make your weight loss easier if you replace worse foods with fruit.
You need to keep in mind that it is important for short and long-term health and weight loss to get enough vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Fruit does not provide you with that many vitamins, minerals, and protein.
That’s why something like the fruit diet, mostly eating fruits is just plain bad for you.
Are fruits better than vegetables?
In general, fruits are higher in calories and lower in nutrients than vegetables. So even better than focusing on eating fruit would be focusing on eating more weight loss friendly vegetables.
With that being said, the sweet taste of fruit can be an option to satisfy your sweet cravings without adding too many calories to your daily total.
So if you have to pick between a processed snack high in sugar and fruit, pick the fruit. If you don’t mind the taste of vegetables it might be better for weight loss and health to choose those.
