Fruit addiction and Ketonians – the ultimate guide to summer Odyssey

Fruit addiction should be treated as a separate thing from the classic sugar addiction. Saying that people who crave fruits are just craving sugar would be superficial. As a nutrition therapist, Apollonas has been working with people from all around the globe.

However, working with people who actually live in the Mediterranean zone is the most difficult task for Keto and Low-Carb specialist. Whenever he starts the program with someone from these countries, the first question he gets is: -How will I survive without fruits? For these people, especially if they are Greeks, not even berries can solve the fruit blues in the beginning.

Fruits and the mythical mention

I will not even go to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. I have so many examples in Greek mythology. From Atalanta’s golden apple to Dyonissus grapes and Amalthea’s horn of plenty. Let’s also not forget the Persephone and pomegranate. Fruits are mentioned in myths in almost all cultures of our planet. In most cases, fruits are symbols of abundance. From ancient times they have been associated with goddesses of fruitfulness, harvest and plenty. However, the fruit is also associated with pleasure and temptation. Certain kinds of fruit developed symbolic meanings in the myths and legends of various cultures.

But what are fruits in today’s world?

Fruits of today are candies and desserts. They are not a symbol of anything but pleasure. However, throughout the years a new myth appeared and it could be doing the most damage to humans. This particular myth says that we need to eat more fruits on a daily basis. But do we really need to do that? The fruits of today are overgrown, genetically modified and loaded in fructose to the level beyond healthy. Eating predominantly fruits of the modern era is not only bad, but it could also be leading to serious health issues and can aid obesity epidemy.

How a Ketonian can resist?

As you know, a small portion of berries will not do harm and will add a significant amount of antioxidants. Furthermore, lemon and lime can serve as a great fruity taste addition for Keto treats. However, the temptations of figs, grapes, watermelon, peaches and not to mention papaya and mango are way too strong in the summer. They are literally available at any corner and they are so affordable that many Ketonians just can’t resist them. The problem would not be so big if we take a small portion. The problem is to restrict ourselves to just a few bites. Once we start eating sugary fruits – we will crave more and more…

Greek goes Keto fruit temptation solution

If you are really struggling with summer fruit temptation, there is always an alternative. Some people don’t actually crave sugar from fruits but the aroma and minerals it offers. Let’s not forget, even olives, tomatoes and peppers are fruits.

Furthermore, there are a few fruits on this planet that, for some reason, don’t contain that much or almost no fructose! How come they are still called fruits? Good question.

Well, botanically speaking, a fruit is a seed-bearing item that develops from the “ovary” of a flowering plant. On the other side, vegetables are all other plant parts, roots, leaves and stems. This is why tomato, cucumber, zucchini and eggplants are fruits, not veggies!

In fact, the mighty fruit that sits at the throne of Keto fruits contains more fat than sugar! Yes, I am talking about mighty Hippophaes, (Sea buckthorn) which is my very favourite fruit!

Fruit addiction is not only about sugar

Fruits don’t contain only sugar. They also contain other beneficial elements. In fact, the smaller the fruit, the more phytonutrients it has. This is why berries are present in many recipes we have here.

Since fruits are a part of various cultural backgrounds, we should understand that Ketonians might miss it on the psychological level too. For this reason, we assembled this small list of ideas. You can use them on those moments when you wish you could have some of the flavours you grew up with.

Quick ideas for Ketonians experiencing fruit blues

Apple or pear blues

Luckily, this is easy and fixable. Apples don’t have some unusual texture but they do have a distinctive flavour. If you mix zucchini or white eggplant with some apple cider vinegar, stevia and powdered lemon zest, you will be surprised. Ideally, you can make a Keto apple pie with these tricks. Of course, if you are able to find wild sour apples, you can add a few because the content of fructose in them is extremely low. For the pear effect, you can use a few drops of orange bloom water and cinnamon.

Watermelon blues

We already published a great recipe for watermelon granita that has Keto macros. For example, if your family enjoys watermelon on a hot summer day, what you can do is eat all the rinds. The white part of watermelon actually contains more minerals and will refresh you the same way sugary part does. Cut it in cubes and sprinkle some lemon juice and maybe monk fruit or stevia on top. You will never miss watermelon again.

Banana blues

The peel of banana contains oils which hold all the aroma and flavour of this tropical fruit. You can find natural banana peel oil all over the internet. It can bring the flavour of banana to your Keto creations. The easiest one would be mashing some avocado, adding monk fruit, a splash of lemon juice and a few drops of banana peel oil. Make sure you chill this mixture before serving and you will enjoy it even more.

Cherry blues

Believe it or not, blueberries have more fructose than sour cherries. In fact, 100 g of blueberries will give you 10 g of sugar, while sour cherries contain 7,6 g of sugar. this is why you can use some of them, let’s say 50g, add some Stevia or Monk fruit and feel liberated. Furthermore, you can look for cornelian cherries which contain more vitamin C than any other cherry and are usually low in sugar.

Peach and apricot blues

Peach and apricot edible oils are also easy to obtain. You can add them to avocado or zucchini and get a very similar effect. In fact, if you eat 1 apricot, chances are you will not even be kicked out of ketosis because 100g of apricot contains 7g sugar, while 1 fruit usually weighs far less than 50g. of course, you will stay away from dried apricots.

Grapes blues

It’s not so much about the flavour but the texture and sour-sweet effect grapes give. You can easily have the same effect from blueberries, red and white currant and of course, if possible, fresh sea buckthorn berries.

Fig blues

This could be the hardest one. Figs are the only fruits that are so interlaced with Mediterranean history and in fact, they are native here. The texture is almost alien alike. But they are loaded in sugar that even a single one can knock you down. However, if you really miss them, prepare yourself a nice chia pudding, add some lemon zest and a few mashed raspberries. Then add monk fruit because it resembles the flavour of honey. You will feel as if you are eating figs! Some cinnamon will also help.

Orange blues

We already wrote several articles on this subject. This could be the easiest thing because all you need is some orange peel, orange essential oil or even orange bloom water. There are a million ideas, and you can read more and get inspired in this link.

Miss anything else?

If there’s any other fruit you miss, don’t hesitate to send us a message. We will do our best to ketonise the flavour of that fruit for you. Of course, you can just stay away and keep yourself disciplined. However, if it’s not harmful, ketonisation should be performed on a regular basis because it gives the feeling of creativity and freedom. Also, it often brings some health benefits because most of the alternatives we gave here are, in fact, very good for you!