Fruits should be added to your daily diet as they are packed with natural nutrients and water that our body requires to stay healthy. Apart from being rich in antioxidants, fibre, and vitamins, they also contain natural sugars. We all know that excess sugar is bad for health but the natural sugar in fruits is not harmful to the body. However, people having high blood sugar levels (diabetics) should always keep a check on the amount of consumption of sugar even if it’s derived from fruits.
Sugar in Fruits
Sugars naturally occurring in fruits still do count towards your daily total sugar intake. Some fruits that are high in sugar may include litchis, pomegranates, bananas, cherries, mangoes, oranges, pears, and grapes.
In this article, we have shared a list of low-sugar fruits and high-sugar fruits to help diabetic patients to choose their daily dose of fruits wisely.
Fruits That are High in Sugar
Here’s the list of fruits that are considered to be high in sugar:
- Mangoes: Topping the list, mangoes are seasonal fruits that are loved by everyone mainly because of their rich sweet taste. But the sad part is that a medium-sized mango has a good 45 grams of sugar content! Therefore, this fruit is not recommended for diabetic people or individuals who are trying to lose weight. People with existing heart-related diseases are also not recommended to eat mango in large quantities, however, the nutrient and antioxidant content of mango when consumed in moderate amounts protect against the risk of cardiovascular diseases . However, during the mango season, it’s hard to stay away from this delicious fruit. Maybe you are allowed to enjoy a slice of one or two but not consume more than that.
- Grapes: The natural sugar in grapes is high in quantity. A cup of the grape contains about 15 grams of sugar and certainly, this portion of sugar intake is not recommended for diabetic people. However, you can chop them into pieces and to your fruit salad and control the overall consumption of grapes.
- Pineapple: Pineapple is another fruit that falls under the category of high-sugar fruits. There are about 16.3 grams of sugar per cup of chopped pineapple. However, despite being high in sugar, pineapple is also a rich source of thiamin & also it also has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Bananas: Bananas are a common go-to breakfast fruit that is enjoyed by the masses. They help you to stay full and are packed with iron and other nutrients. They are known as the powerhouse of energy. But a medium-sized banana has some 14 grams of sugar in it. Bananas are not quite recommended for diabetic people, however, people who are trying to lose weight and have a sweet tooth can add some bananas to their shakes by substituting refined sugar. One can also add chopped bananas in the filling of the peanut butter sandwich.
- Pears: Although this winter fruit is high in vitamin C, a medium-sized pear has some 17 grams of sugar in it. Therefore you are into a weight loss routine, then do not consume whole pear fruit. Rather chop half of the fruit and add it to your fruit salad or Greek yoghurt.
- Watermelons: This summer fruit which is packed with 70% water is one of the most refreshing fruits you can have on a hot summer day. Watermelons are rich in electrolytes that help individuals to stay hydrated for longer times on hot days or post workouts. However, watermelon has some 9.5 grams of sugar per cup. Although watermelon has comparatively less sugar, one should not eat a full-sized watermelon in one go.
- Cherries: Cherries have about 18gm of sugar & due to their small size one often loses track of the number of cherries one is munching at a time. Cherries are delicious and add a different rustic taste to any dish. But one should not eat them in bulk.
Fruits That are Low in Sugar
Following is the list of fruits that are low in sugar:
- Avocado: Avocado is one fruit that falls under the category of extremely low-sugar fruits. It can also fall under the category of fruits without sugar as a whole avocado has just 1.3 grams of sugar. This particular fruit is consumed by most fitness enthusiasts as a spread on toast or in the form of smoothies due to the high-calorie factor.
- Guavas: They say “an apple a day keeps a doctor away”, but little do people know that a guava a day also keeps a doctor away. Guavas have equal nutrients to that of an apple. Rather it has less sugar content compared to apples. Guavas can be enjoyed in the form of smoothies & shakes or even as a whole fruit. Each medium-sized guava has only 5 grams of sugar.
- Cantaloupe: Also known as sugar melon, this particular nutritious fruit has only 5 grams of sugar & only 23 calories. These fruits can be consumed in good quantities as they have the lowest sugar content.
- Apples: Apples are one such fruit that is often recommended by doctors to diabetic patients as they are low in sugar. Every 100 grams of apple has 10 grams of sugar which is not harmful to diabetic or obese patients.
- Oranges: A medium-sized orange has about 12 grams of sugar in it. Since it is rich in vitamin C and low in calories, it can be consumed by diabetic or obese patients.
- Strawberries: A cup of strawberries has some 7 grams of sugar in it and is packed with vitamin C. As the sugar in strawberries is in moderate amounts, they can be consumed by diabetic or obese patients.
- Papaya: Among the various low-sugar fruits, papaya is one such fruit that is low in calories and has only 6 grams of sugar per cup. One can add it to a yoghurt mix or sprinkle some sea salt on slices of papaya and enjoy them any time of the day. Papaya is also good for skin health.
Conclusion
Fruits are in general good for our health and promote several health benefits. However, many high sugar fruits are bad for people suffering from diabetes.
Though these sugars are not harmful, people with diabetes or obesity should consume them in moderate or low amounts. The list above will help you to choose the right kind of fruit that your body needs. Also, as you come to know about the actual sugar contents of each fruit, next time you can check on the amount of consumption and cut down on your sugar intake and calories.
