I've always consider fruit to be something taken as a dessert or snack. That's what my mom taught me and that's what I learned in school. This morning, a dietician was the guest on a morning show I listen to, and she said fruits are best taken as a starter. I can't rephrase her scientific explanation, but it came down to the fact that the fruits properties prepare the alimentary canal to break down food better. So food is metabolizes better by the body if you eat your fruit just before the meal.