BROWSE DIETS

Fruit Diet

Fruitarians (or ‘fructarians’) are a subgroup of vegans, who are in turn a subgroup of vegetarians, most of whom adopt their particular dietary preference for reasons of health, ecological/environmental responsibility, or ethics.

A Vegetarian diet excludes meat and fish, and products derived from them (such as cochineal, lard, tallow, gelatin), although it can include honey, milk and other dairy products, and eggs.

A Vegan diet goes further by excluding dairy and egg products - only vegetables are eaten.

A Fruitarian (fructarian) diet goes further again by excluding all parts of all ‘vegetables’ (that is, plants and trees) except the fruit of the plant.

Fruitarian Diet

In a fruitarian diet, the only parts of plants used are the fruit, nuts, seeds and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant. In other words, ‘culinary’ fruit (apples, oranges, pears etc) and ‘botanical’ fruit or seed-containing reproductive parts of flowering plants (beans, berries, capsicums, cucumbers, grains, nuts, peas, pumpkins, seeds, squash, tomatoes, and the like), can be eaten, but not carrots, potatoes or spinach etc., which require destruction of the plant.

A true fruitarian believes that removal of a vegetable from its roots (say a potato or a lettuce leaf) injures it, which is against the fruitarian concept of causing no death or injury to anything in order to consume part of it (the tomato and avocado are considered either fruit or vegetable, and thus are exceptions to this rule).

The fruitarian diet may appear to be limited in variety and in nutrition, but nuts of any type provide a protein source, and grains and pasta are suggested for a balanced diet. Eggs may also be eaten if from organically grown chickens.

Negative factors

A fruitarian diet is difficult to follow, and long-term fruitarians can develop health problems, such as:

Maintaining nutrient levels

Care should be taken with a fruitarian diet to ensure sufficient consumption of certain nutrients, by identifying and including the appropriate sources of:

Look for healthy vegetarian  and fruit recipes here.

User Reviews

  • Natalie
    June 27th, 2009

    today i started this diet :) i love fruit…
    right now i’m recovering from a light form of bulimia.. and i certainly need to detox and to bring my skin in order..
    hope everything will go fine :)
    wish me luck!:)

  • IQRA
    June 23rd, 2009

    I love fruits so i will try

  • nathalie
    June 20th, 2009

    i’ve been eating fruits for 3 weeks… and i lost like 4-5 kg.. (only fruits).. i havent eaten anything sweet, sugars, meat, fish.. only 4 small fruits per day.. n i feel very good.. although i know its bad for my health.. but.. it’s not tht i care bout it.. XD

  • Marina
    May 24th, 2009

    Fruitarianism as well as Raw Veganism can be very helpful to your body but everyone is different. Some people experience too much weight loss, deficiencies and Diabetic like symptoms while others thrive perfectly. Everyone is different and we should all find what’s best for us.
    Common problems that arise with vegan/fruit diets are vitamin B12 deficiency. Usually vitamin B12 is derived from bacteria that we ingest from meat and dairy products. However these bacteria can also be derived from consuming dietary yeast (it has a cheesy flavor), aloe Vera or supplementation.
    Everyone is different and some individuals genetics have adapted to eating cooked foods and meat, while others do best on vegan foods and raw. Some people actually produce vitamin B12 in their guts so they never experience deficiencies. So again everyone is different and what may work wonderfully for you may have devastating effects on others.
    According to the Word of God; God told Adam and Eve that they could eat all foods containing seeds in them. Genesis 1:29 , “And God said, “behold I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which bears fruit yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.”
    So in the beginning mankind were fruitarians, after Adam and Eve sinned God cursed the ground and told Adam that it would be harder for him to obtain food from it, so God expanded their diets to include more vegetables and grain (herb of the field).
    Humans continued this diet until after the Flood, when God told Noah that he could eat anything that moved.
    Genesis 9:3-4, Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. Only flesh with the life thereof, that is the blood thereof, you shall not eat.”
    Scholars believe that this particular expansion to man’s diet was due to the destruction of vegetation caused by the flood. It was better for humans to eat anything verses die of starvation.
    Later through Moses God brought the Talmud (Jewish Law) which excluded certain kinds of animals and insects such as pigs, shellfish, birds of prey, rodents etc…
    I am a Christian and I’m also a fruitarian, I adopted this life style because God told me to, He said that I would die if I didn’t and I believe Him. Disease runs ramped in my family due to our diet and lifestyle choices.
    My Grandmother on my Mother’s side has diabetes and had a heart attack and stroke. My Grandmother on my Father’s side has Leukemia. My Grandfather on my Father’s side had numerous amounts of heart attacks throughout his life starting in his twenties and finally died a few years ago. My Uncle has Multiple Sclerosis, My father has diabetes and has had many heart attacks and strokes currently he’s on dialyses due to kidney failure (they both stop working), my mother has congestive heart failure and my sister has lupus, and various unexplained phenomena occurring in her body. So I can see how premature death would have been inevitable if I continued on the path that I was on.
    But like I said everyone is different so find what works for you and do it, you owe it to yourself.

  • Joanna
    May 19th, 2009

    I’m so tired of people automatically assuming that vegetarians, and vegans and frutarians in particular, are going to suffer from calcium and protein deficiencies, as well as a reduced intake of Omega 3s. I wish they’d do their homework before displaying their ignorance for all the world to see. Nuts, seeds and dark green leafy vegetables are a far superior source of calcium than dairy products, and are more easily assimilated by the body too (the pasteurisation process that occurs in dairy products makes the calcium far more difficult for the body to absorb). Further, eating a pure diet of fruit, nuts and vegetables renders the blood more alkaline, and thus the body does not need to leech as much (if any) calcium from the bones to neutralise acidic levels (so, to spell it out, there might actually be a slightly reduced need for as much calcium when eating this kind of diet).
    As for the Omega 3 band wagon that everyone is one, well, the very best source is from vegetables (and even fruits). As good as the fish source is, generally, one eats one’s fish cooked, and the cooking process denatures (changes the molecular shape of) these particular fats. So in that instance, fish no longer becomes a good source (since your body cannot use the denatured fats effectively). Further, our oceans have almost been fished out, so in my (not so) humble opinion, it is irresponsible to get one’s Omega 3s from this source. If you eat a mix of avocado, raw corn on the cob, mixed nuts and seeds, olives and/or cold pressed vegetable oils, you’ll be getting more than enough Omega 3s. And a vegan and fruitarian diet provides all of this. And if you still feel you need extra, a daily table spoon of cold pressed flax seed oil is the best source ever.
    Right, and as for the protein argument, I have one thing to say: Silver backed gorillas eat only plants. And they’re mighty big mo-fos. Nuff said.

  • anonymous
    May 7th, 2009

    dont go this direction beyond one week at a time. i tried it before and no doubt i lose weight everyday, (because no matter how much fruits you eat, you’d never gain any weight at all) after going on for more than 2 weeks, my hair starts falling from lack of protein. on an upside, it does make your skin glow, complexion clearer but in a sense, you’d feel more tired and weak at the beginning. guess its all up to you, weighing the pros and the cons together.

  • blondie
    April 24th, 2009

    Hey im on it now…I love fruit !! so i eat it all the time anyway ..

    Rating: blondie gives a rating of 4blondie gives a rating of 4blondie gives a rating of 4blondie gives a rating of 4blondie gives a rating of 4
  • Enkianthus
    January 7th, 2009

    Mohondas Gandhi was a fruitarian at the end of his life. But he ate meat for a brief period in his younger years, which he later regretted due to his beliefs. The idea is captivating and noble to me, but I’m too weak-willed to stick with it. I decided to just incorporate more fruits and nuts into my diet, not a bad thing.

    Rating: Enkianthus gives a rating of 1Enkianthus gives a rating of 1Enkianthus gives a rating of 1Enkianthus gives a rating of 1Enkianthus gives a rating of 1
  • Darryl
    December 24th, 2008

    I will try it!!!
    I was wondering though if you are 5′4 and you weigh 130 pounds is that considered fat or not thin!!! please tell me the truth

  • Anonymous
    December 23rd, 2008

    I’m gonna try it!

  • why?
    December 18th, 2008

    Omg everyone has there own opinion about this topic. Some think you can kill foods by pruducing them to eat and some think its silly. But don’t get all religious about it geez you cannot inflict your self religion onto another so dont even try it !

  • charlotte
    December 7th, 2008

    when i got diagnosed with something called GERD (gastro esophaegul reflux disease) i was forced to do this diet… not by choice i lost SO MUCH wieght… my skin was so clear… its not starving yourself… you grow accustom to it…and you can eat as much as you want…. your skin clears up SO MUCH…. your skin will glow… and it is a lot like the raw food diet which actually has been known to cure diseases. i love nuts, fruits, smoothies, i feel so healthy and great!!! ii wouldnt lie to you…. its hard at first but in the end you will be so satisfied with how you look!!!

  • sonic
    December 2nd, 2008

    u really need to try this diet! i started doing it and im healthy!!

    Rating: sonic gives a rating of 5sonic gives a rating of 5sonic gives a rating of 5sonic gives a rating of 5sonic gives a rating of 5
  • Ben
    November 16th, 2008

    Don’t listen to these wackjobs , jimmy. you keep right on stickin it to em!

  • heather
    October 29th, 2008

    God intended us 2 eat. Eating good wholsome food, made by Him, equals food for your mind body and soul. He intended us 2 eat certain animals and others he intended 4 us 2 leave alone, and some he intended 4 us to befriend. Everything was made by God 4 us. Read the first 4 books of the bible it will tell u. Dont comment on something u guys dont know about. Way 2 go rc!!!

  • Lisa
    October 21st, 2008

    People like Jimmy make me hate organized religion… is there seriously something in the bible that says, “Hey, make sure you kill and torture animals for food. I’ll be taking offense, otherwise. Love God.”?

  • sarah
    October 12th, 2008

    I really need a good detox, I’ve been binging for 4 days straight now and I feel so lousy and tired. I never knew their was such think as a fruitarian =) Guess you learn something new everyday.. I have a question though, can you actually gain weight if you eat too much fruit?

  • laura beard
    September 9th, 2008

    i make my fruit salads and also it’s helps me to losing weight and it’s my lifestyle weight.

  • SFD
    September 6th, 2008

    It’s that simple. TRY IT!
    If you didn’t … don’t comment on the above!
    Assets of this lifestyle are many and certainly
    not mentioned here!

  • R C
    August 25th, 2008

    ALL THE REASON NOT TO EAT THEM! and when you finally get god’s number, will you call and ask him what my middle finger looks like?

  • Jimmy
    August 21st, 2008

    Wow this is dumb I wanted to switch to fruits to loose weight so i thought of just eating fruit or whey protein shakes just whatever so i looked up all fruit diet and I come across this garbage GOD INTENDED ALL PLANTS AAANNNNDDD ANIMALS FOR US TO RULE OVER AND CONSUME…..so by you not eating those things listed because it hurts it well thats what it was made for TO EAT so by not eating them your giving a big middle finger to God

  • Louise GagnĂ©
    June 4th, 2008

    Two days ago, I decided to eat mostly fruit. How much supplements do I need in dairy products, eggs, vegetables per week, and/or vitamins so I don’t get sick.

  • Carolyn
    April 30th, 2008

    Don’t forget that sprouts, which are dense nutritionally, may be eaten, and this includes breads made from sprouts. For instance I eat a sprouted rye bread made by Earth Seed, that has two ingredients: sprouted rye and purified water. It was baked at very low temperatures, and is organic. Also, the definition above is not one used by every fruitarian. Read Hereward Carrington’s book titled Fruitarian Diet, written around 1910, certainly did not advocate pasta, a processed, denatured food, as part of a fruitarian diet, because it harms human beings.








    • 1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (14 votes so far)




    Last modified: March 30, 2009