Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

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What is the most fattening fruit?
-Nadia

Dear Nadia,

It's tempting to classify our foods this way, isn't it? But this doesn't really help us create a healthy diet. Focusing on the most fattening fruit, the bean that's lowest in iron, or the vegetable that's highest in sodium may encourage us to avoid potentially healthy foods, or relying on only a few foods, limiting our variety.

But to answer your question, coconut is the fruit that has the most fat per serving. An ounce of shredded coconut provides 100 calories and 10 grams of fat. This does not mean that coconuts are "fattening" or "bad" for us - they're not! Any food will be fattening if we eat too much of it. Coconuts may be calorie- and fat-dense, but they also provide many important nutrients. Eaten in moderation as part of a widely varied, whole-foods diet, coconuts are perfectly acceptable. For nifty facts about coconuts, go to this site.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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