Busting myths: When to have your fruits

Who doesn't like ending their meals with a delicious fruit that's in season? In fact, you probably think that eating a fruit after lunch or dinner is a much healthier option than a high calorific dessert, right?

Surprisingly, doctors would have you think otherwise.

Myth: Eating fruits is a healthy way to end your meal.
Myth Buster: As healthy as it is to include fruits in your daily diet, you're actually better off not eating them immediately after a meal.

Karen Campos Bhatia, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and lifestyle specialist explains, "Fruits have many beneficial nutrients and are an essential part of a healthy diet. However, they are best consumed on their own as a snack for maximum absorption of nutrients. Since fruits digest faster than other foods, when had after a meal, they putrefy with the combination of digestive juices produced by your body and cause bloating and indigestion."

The best time to have fruits is between meals.

"The gap between meals is ideally when one should have fruits. They help you stay full as well as avoid bingeing on unhealthy snacks," says Dr Madhurima Sinha, nutritionist at Care Hospitals, Nampally.