Anyone else have a gnawing, empty feeling a hour or so after eating fruit?

I love fruit and I eat it about three times a day.  And I know that fruit metabolizes a lot faster than protein.  When I eat meat, in particular, I just get a soft "growl" in my stomach when it's time to eat again.  But when I eat fruit of any kind, when I get hungry again, I get a gnawing, painful emptiness in my stomach!  Does this happen to anyone else?  And does anyone know WHY this happens to me?

Eating fruit (esp. apples) on an empty stomach makes me hungrier. Don't know why - I just don't use fruit to tide me over til my next meal.

it's probably the acid.

Acid and sugar combined....   Sugar (even fruit sugar) is absorbed and used up very quickly leaving an empty feeling.  Acid just adds to the gastric growl...

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I get that too!  I used to eat an apple between classes until I found out it wouldn't help my stomache stop growling.

Yes, that is why they recommend eating it with some protein, like string cheese or peanut butter or yogurt.  I always thought fruit was a horrible snack because it always made me hungrier.  When I was a kid, they'd be like "For a healthy snack, try an apple!"  At least now you are hearing more that you should eat it with protein.  I do think it helps.

oh yes! And I absolutely love fruit. For a while I would make fruit smoothies for breakfast until I realized that it was the reason I was starving to death just a couple of hours later. Not to mention my blood sugar would spike and then crash and by noon I felt like I had been hit by a bus! Now I eat my fruit with protein like nut butters or something like that. It helps a bunch.

I love fruit!  It's the best.  I don't think it makes me hungrier, it gives me energy and keeps me going.  I could live off fruit. 

I think this depends on what kind of fruit you are eating, and how you are eating it.

fruit like banana's, mango's and kiwi's are very high in sugar, high GI, and low fiber... they metabolize quickly and spike your blood sugars fast, and drop them soon after because they contain simple sugars (fructose) leaving you hungry soon after and craving more food

fruits like raspberries, blackberries, and apples, are low in sugar, low GI and high in fiber... they'll keep you satisfied longer as the high fiber content slows the sugar absorption

some people say that you should eat fruit on an empty stomach for better digestion.. that's cool and all, if you have PROBLEMS digesting certain foods

but I think the majority of us will benefit much better by pairing fruit with a source of protein and/or fat... try cottage cheese topped with berries, an apple with peanut or almond butter, or fruit salad with greek yogurt, and a couple chopped walnuts... these fruit + protein/fat combos will stay with you longer and be more satisfying then straight fruit alone 

Same here.  I hate it because I absolutely love fruit!  I tend to eat a yogurt right after that (well, about an hour later) - still a lot less calories and fat than eating something else like peanut butter or a sandwich! :-)

I love apples, but I've had to stop eating them for this very reason.  I get that very same gnawing, empty, COLD feeling after eating them and it is almost painful.

Bananas, however, do not do that to me, but many fruits do.  Pears, for instance, leave me ravenous.  Grapes do, too.  Sigh. =/

actually its bc the fruit is so pure and full of water and fiber it literally (cleans) you(r) intenstines..out. it should be eaten ALONE, but followed behind maybe a half hour later.. just long enough for it to do its thing.

WOW! Some GREAT replies here!  I HAVE noticed that the fruit lasts longer when I eat some cottage or ricotta cheese with it.  I'll try the almond butter option, too.  Up until now, I've just been eating something else an hour later...and feeling guilty about it.  THANKS everyone!

Kind of on a similar note, I recently read an article that said you shouldn't eat fruit right after eating a large amount of other foods, because it will actually rot in your intestines.

Original Post by ecwk6:

Kind of on a similar note, I recently read an article that said you shouldn't eat fruit right after eating a large amount of other foods, because it will actually rot in your intestines.

 That's the principle of Food Combining...which has been around since the early 70's, at least.  The basis of the "theory" is that fruit takes 30 min to an hour to digest; vegetables take an hour to an hour and a half; fish takes two hours; chicken takes three hours; and meat takes four hours to digest.  So, if you eat meat (which takes four hours to digest) and follow it with fruit (one hour, max), the fruit will digest and make the meat ferment in your stomach.  I don't know whether or not this principle has been proven (anyone know for SURE?), but it sounds plausible...so I've been eating fruit first for most of my life, for that reason.

apples!  If I eat an apple I feel even hungrier in an hour.

Original Post by belfish:

apples!  If I eat an apple I feel even hungrier in an hour.

 EXACTLY!  And melons...and strawberries...and peaches...and plums...even cherries!

Happens to me too! I start my day with a banana because that gives me some energy. But I have to follow it up with a protein and a carb like cereal or w/w bread. I also eat fruit as 'snacks' but I dont expect them to fill me up for hours. I usually have them when I am craving something else (like cookies) and they keep my calorie count low.

I absolutely ADORE all fruit though!

Yeah so just for good measure I eat another fruit and chug a glass of juice

Original Post by ria1988:

Yeah so just for good measure I eat another fruit and chug a glass of juice

 Yeahhhhh....that just doesn't seem to work for me.  But, on the subject of eating protein with fruit, I tried this fabulous recipe that I got in one of the CC newsletters: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/almond_crea m_berries.html

 It's low-calorie, it's DELICIOUS, and it stayed with me a lot longer than just fruit alone.  I think, about 2 1/2 hrs.!  I love it SO much, I just might have it EVERY DAY!  LOL!