How Do Points Work for Fruits and Vegetables on Weight Watchers?

Nothing is off-limits on the Weight Watchers program, but all foods are allotted a point value that corresponds loosely with their nutritional content. That's why having a Weight Watchers fruit and vegetable points list can help you track your diet.

After the company's 2018 rebrand, though, Weight Watchers' fruit and vegetable points became a little less straightforward as the brand pivoted towards a more customized points model (more on that in a moment).

As a result, the best Weight Watchers points calculator is the program itself — signing up for the service can help you determine the best veggies and fruit for Weight Watchers, how to calculate WW points and how many points are in individual foods on your plan.

In 2018, Weight Watchers rebranded as WW and debuted a new points system where users could build their own SmartPoints budget based on their personal goals and lifestyle.

Since then, WW replaced the SmartPoints system with the PersonalPoints Program, which builds you a customized points budget and ZeroPoint food list (that is, foods that don't count towards your daily point allotment) based on your lifestyle and health needs, according to the website.

The PersonalPoints Program also calculates a food's points based on its overall nutrition, rather than individual factors like calories. For instance, a food that contains added sugar or saturated fat may have a higher point value than a higher-calorie, nutrient-dense food, according to the website.

Similarly, your ZeroPoint food list will be customized to your health needs and goals, per the website. If you have diabetes, say, your list may contain more foods that don't spike your blood sugar.

As a result, point values may vary from person to person. For example, a sweet potato's WW point value may be zero for some people or several points for others, even though sweet potatoes previously had specific Weight Watchers PointsPlus, ProPoints and SmartPoints Freestyle Points values.

All fresh fruits are typically zero points under the PersonalPoints system, per the website. So if you're wondering about how many points is an apple on Weight Watchers, for instance, it's likely zero.

However, if you're still unsure about specifics — like how many WW points is a watermelon, strawberries or a banana — defer to your customized plan for the most accurate information.

Here's a generalized breakdown of WW fruit points value:

• ‌Fresh fruit:‌ Fresh fruits are typically zero

  points.

• ‌Dried fruit:‌ Dried fruit is a different story, though. According to Harvard Health Publishing, dried fruit often contains added sugar and calories, meaning it'll typically have a higher point value. The exact amount of points in different types of dried fruit will vary based on your personalized plan.

• ‌Canned fruit:‌ Similarly, canned fruit also has points due to the added sugar and calories of canning syrup. Exactly how many points are in different types of canned fruit, though, depends on your plan.

• ‌Fruit juice:‌ Fruit juice also contains points due to added sugar, calories and other nutrients. Check with your plan to determine the point value of different juices.

Many people assume that avocados have a higher points value because they contain more fat and calories than other fruits. But how many Weight Watchers points are in an avocado under the new PersonalPoints program? According to the website, avocados may be included on your ZeroPoint list given their high nutritional value.

Here are some other fresh fruits to include in your WW diet:

• Watermelon
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Apples
• Pears
• Bananas

Like fresh fruit, most non-starchy vegetables are also assigned zero points on the PersonalPoints plan, according to the website.

That's because low-starch vegetables are nutrient-dense, a good source of fiber and are naturally low in calories. Examples include:

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Green beans
• Brussels sprouts
• Kale
• Zucchini
• Cauliflower

Keep in mind, though, that vegetable juice is not a points-free food — WW may assign it points, depending on your personal plan.

You may be wondering whether you can eat potatoes on Weight Watchers, as starchy vegetables have not been deemed zero-point foods in the past due to their higher calorie and carb counts compared to non-starchy veggies.

However, under the PersonalPoints Program, it's possible your ZeroPoint food list will include starchy veggies (though this may vary based on your specific plan), per the website.

Starchy vegetables that may be included on your ZeroPoint list include:

• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Corn
• Peas
• Lentils
• Beans
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Taro

That said, keep in mind that this WW zero-point list refers unadorned starchy veggies, like plain potatoes or corn.

So if you're wondering how many points is in a baked potato, potato salad, baked french fries or corn on the cob on Weight Watchers, these foods likely count towards your points budget due to additional ingredients like butter, mayo or oil.