Low-Sugar Fruits: 11 Types to Try - Health.com

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Having a piece of fruit can satisfy your sweet tooth while providing important nutrients like vitamins and fiber.

But if you are monitoring your sugar intake, you may want to choose fruits that are low in sugar. Here's a look at low-sugar fruits you can incorporate into your diet.

This tart, citrus fruit is a popular breakfast food with many nutritional benefits. While grapefruit is relatively low in sugar, it's a great source of vitamin C.

One half of a medium-sized grapefruit contains 8.5 grams (g) of sugar and 43% of the daily value for vitamin C. Vitamin C plays a vital role in immune health and collagen formation. It also helps improve iron absorption from plant sources.

Grapefruit also has a low glycemic index. The glycemic index measures how quickly food raises blood sugar. Food with a low glycemic index take longer to digest and so cause a smaller and slower rise in blood sugar levels. That means following a low-glycemic index diet—which can include most fruit—can help manage diabetes

A 2021 review of studies even found that grapefruit may help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Try incorporating grapefruit into salads or a meal that contains non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and lean protein like chicken.

Berries are lower in sugar than many other fruits. Here is a look at the sugar content of 1 cup of raw berries:

• Raspberries: 5 g
• Strawberries: 7 g
• Blackberries: 7 g

At 15 grams of sugar per 1 raw cup, blueberries have a higher amount of sugar. But blueberries still have other positive properties and benefits. For instance, eating a moderate amount of berries on a regular basis has been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Berries are also rich in fiber, polyphenols, and vitamins. Plus, they have a low glycemic index value. Higher intakes of fruits with a low glycemic index value, like berries, have been shown to significantly improve hemoglobin A1C levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Hemoglobin A1C, or HbA1c, is a blood test that measures a person's average blood sugar levels over the last three months.

Enjoy a handful of berries as a mid-day snack, or add fresh or frozen berries to plain Greek yogurt.

With their tart flavor, it's no surprise that lemons are among the top choices for low-sugar fruits.

Lemons contain 2.1 g of sugar and 2.4 g of fiber per fruit.

While you might not reach for a lemon when you're hungry, you can squeeze their juice into a glass of water for a refreshing beverage. You can also mix lemon juice with extra-virgin olive oil to create a tasty salad dressing.

Limes have even less sugar than lemons. One lime contains 1 g of sugar and 2 g of fiber per fruit.

If you don't want to eat a lime as a whole, similarly to a lemon, you can use a lime as part of a dish or beverage.

Cranberries are low in sugar, containing just 4 g per cup. They're also a rich source of beneficial plant compounds with antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that help limit damage caused by free radicals, which have been linked to cancer and other chronic diseases.

Cranberries also may decrease the risk of urinary tract infections by about one-third in people at an increased risk for developing the infection.

When buying cranberries, look for those that are shiny and plump with a deep color. If you enjoy the tart taste of fresh cranberries, you can add them to Greek yogurt, oatmeal, or salads.

Limit dried cranberries, as they are generally sweetened with sugar. For example, one-fourth of a cup of dried cranberries contains around 29 g of sugar.

Despite having a sweet and delicious flavor, watermelon is relatively low in sugar. A cup of diced watermelon provides 9 g of sugar, with just 45 calories.

While watermelon has a high glycemic index rating, it is 92% water and contains few carbohydrates, which gives it a low glycemic load. Glycemic load considers the glycemic index of a food and the amount of carbohydrates per serving. It is believed to give a more accurate picture of a food's impact on blood sugar than glycemic index rating alone.

One kiwi fruit contains 7 g of sugar.

These little green fruits rank low on the glycemic index scale and are a good source of fiber. They're also an excellent source of vitamin C. One kiwi fruit provides 62% of the daily value for vitamin C and 2.3 g of fiber, with just 48 calories.

You can eat kiwi fruit alone or add diced kiwi to salads, fruit cocktails, or smoothies. Prevent ripe kiwis from spoiling by storing them in the refrigerator.

Avocados are low-sugar fruits that are incredibly nutritious. One whole avocado contains less than half a gram of sugar.

An avocado also provides you with 9 g of fiber. And because they're rich in monounsaturated fats, avocados may help lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health.

A recent study found that daily avocado consumption for 12 weeks improved blood sugar control, cardiometabolic risk factors, and overall diet quality in adults with obesity and insulin resistance (when it's hard for your body to take glucose out of your blood).

Avocado is a versatile fruit with a creamy, buttery flavor. You can add mashed avocado to whole-grain toast or eggs or use it as a dip for veggies.

Oranges are a sweet, citrus fruit that can fit into a low-sugar diet. One orange contains just under 13 grams of sugar. From that orange, you'll also get 3 grams of fiber and 70% of the daily value for immune-boosting vitamin C.

Plus, oranges have a high water content, which can help you stay hydrated.

When shopping for oranges, choose those with a bright orange color that feel heavy and firm to the touch.

Apricots are an excellent snack for those watching their sugar intake. Two small apricots contain 6 g of sugar. The pair of apricots also have 1.4 g of fiber, with just 34 calories.

Snack on fresh apricots, skin and all, or add them to your favorite low-sugar dishes.

Although dried apricots are slightly higher in sugar and lower in fiber—containing 4.2 grams of sugar and 0.6 g of fiber per small slice—they still fall relatively low on the glycemic index scale.

Eating dried apricots in moderation and pairing them with foods high in protein and healthier fats like nuts and cheese may help slow absorption and prevent spikes in blood sugar.

Plums have fewer grams of sugar than many other fruits. One plum contains less than 7 g of sugar. The low glycemic index fruit also has 1 g of fiber, with just 30 calories.

When purchasing plums, choose one that is plump and deep-colored. Eat it as you would an apple.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that most adults consume two cups of fruit daily. However, it's important to be mindful of your serving size and the type of fruit you eat.

Portion sizes should be limited to serving sizes of one cup or one medium fruit, which is about the size of your fist.

Choose fresh, frozen, or canned fruits more often than 100% fruit juices. Fruit juice tends to be high in sugar and low in fiber, which may cause larger increases in blood sugar than whole fruits.

If you are choosing canned or frozen fruit, be sure to look for phrases like "packed in its juices," "no added sugar," or "unsweetened."

If you have diabetes, fruits that are higher in sugar don't have to necessarily be avoided completely. However, they should be consumed in moderation. For instance, dried fruits like dates, raisins, and sweetened cranberries have smaller portion sizes than other types of fruit.

If you have diabetes, it's also a good idea to pair fruits with a protein and fat source to slow down how quickly your blood sugar rises.

Although fruits contain natural sugars, it's still a healthy option for those watching their sugar intake. Low-sugar fruits like berries, kiwi, and citrus fruits with a low glycemic index value can help control blood sugar levels while providing essential nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Higher-sugar fruits like dried fruit also offer important nutrients but should be consumed in moderation. If you have diabetes, pair fruits with non-starchy vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats to create balanced meals that help keep your blood sugar in your goal range.

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