10 High-Sugar Fruits to Eat Less Of & 10 Low-Sugar Ones to Munch on Instead
10 High-Sugar Fruits to Eat Less Of & 10 Low-Sugar Ones to Munch on Instead
Fruit or Candy?
Fruits are generally considered healthy snacks, but not all of them are created equal. Some varieties are packed with so much natural sugar, you might as well be eating a candy bar. So before your next grocery run, it’s worth knowing which ones to reach for and which to enjoy in moderation. From grapes and mangoes to apples and avocados, here are 10 high-sugar fruits to eat less of—and 10 low-sugar ones to munch on instead.
1. Dates
Dates are among the fruits with the highest sugar content, and the main reason is that they're dried. The drying process pulls out all the water, leaving only the fruit's natural sugars behind, hence the sugar bomb. Just one pitted Medjool date contains 16g of sugar—and if you eat 100g of them, that's a whopping 66g of sugar!
2. Pineapple
You might not suspect pineapple chunks to be all that sugary, given their slightly tangy bite. But don't be fooled: just one cup of this tropical fruit contains around 16g of sugar, which means it can spike your glucose levels as quickly as a slice of cherry pie.
3. Figs
As mentioned earlier, dried fruits are sugar bombs, but figs are a little tricky. One medium raw fig contains about 8g of sugar, but put it through a drying process and that number drops a bit lower, to around 4g. That being said, very rarely do you ever stop at just one, which means the more you eat, the quicker these sugar totals add up.
4. Pomegranate
Sweet and juicy with a crunchy bite, pomegranates can be highly addictive to eat. They're often seen as a superfruit, too, given that it's packed with antioxidants and vitamin C, so it's easy to think it's better to eat more. But not so fast—even if you were to eat half of the fruit, you'll still be treated to a whopping 20g of sugar. A half-cup of the seeds contains 12g of sugar.
5. Grapes
These juicy bite-sized fruits are easy to pop into your mouth, and you probably lose count of how many you've eaten after the first five or so. But you'll want to be careful: one cup of grapes typically contains about 24g of sugar, and many of us probably eat more than a cup of them.
6. Mango
Mangoes are a summertime favorite of many, and that's no surprise, considering how sweet and delicious they are. But here's what you might want to keep in mind the next them you snack on it: a single medium-sized mango contains a whopping 45-46g of sugar.
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7. Banana
Bananas make a great breakfast and pre-workout snack, given that they're packed with essential nutrients, like potassium and fiber. But—and there's always a but—one medium banana can set you back around 14-15g of sugar. And as they ripen, they only get sweeter.
8. Raisins
Grapes are already high in sugar, so you already know that raisins aren't going to get any lower. In fact, just one cup of raisins contains nearly 100g of sugar—that's enough to make your teeth hurt just thinking about it!
9. Kiwi
For all the great health benefits eating kiwi brings, you might not think twice about how much sugar these fuzzy green fruits contain. You'll want to be careful the next time you decide to eat two (or more) in one sitting, though: just one medium-sized kiwi contains 6-7g of sugar.
10. Longan & Lychee
Longans and lychees are popular summertime fruits, but these juicy gems should be consumed in moderation. One cup of longan contains around 20g of sugar, and for lychee, 30g of sugar. To put it into perspective, eating just 10 lychees will give you 15g of sugar and 66 calories!
So, as it turns out, not all fruits are inherently "good" for us, especially if you need to watch your sugar intake. What, then, are some low-sugar fruits you can snack on instead? Let's jump into 10 healthier, less decadent choices.
1. Apple
You might be skeptical of the expression, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," but there's actually fairly good truth to this. Even though a medium-sized apple contains around 20g of sugar, the fiber content makes up for it, slowing down digestion and preventing rapid blood sugar spikes.
2. Pear
A juicy, crunchy pear, anyone? A single medium-sized pear might give you 17g of sugar, but just like apples, the fiber content in them more than makes up for it. Whether you enjoy them sliced, diced, or whole, don't be afraid to dig in!
3. Lemons & Limes
Looking for something tangy that contains little to no sugar? Then lemons and limes are the perfect fruits for you! These citrus fruits only contain about 1-2g of sugar, so they can add some flavor and zest without being sugar bombs.
4. Grapefruit
Another popular citrus fruit is grapefruit, and this one can be enjoyed on its own, juiced, or added as a flavorful zest. Half of a grapefruit contains around 11g of sugar, but it also delivers plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that make it a healthy treat.
5. Watermelon
You've probably seen lists like these where watermelon has appeared on either side of the list. So, which is it: is this popular summertime fruit a yay or a nay in terms of sugar content? Well, summer lovers, here's the answer: a one-cup serving of watermelon contains less than 10g of sugar, yet it's packed full of essential nutrients, like vitamin C, electrolytes, and—of course—water! We think it's a yay.
6. Peaches
A raw, medium-sized peach contains around 13g of sugar, which might seem high, but because they're high in fiber and are considered a low-glycemic fruit, they won't rapidly spike your blood sugar levels. Just don't eat more than one in a single setting.
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7. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe often gets overshadowed by other, more popular summertime favorites, but it deserves the spotlight. A cup of cantaloupe chunks contains around 14g of sugar, but this fruit is also packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and won't make your blood sugar spike rapidly.
8. Avocado
You might wonder if an avocado is a fruit at all, but it is. One thing you'll notice right off the bat when you spoon this green fruit out, though, is that it doesn't taste sweet at all—and that's because a whole avocado contains less than 1g of sugar. They're also loaded with healthy fats, which just makes it an even better snack choice.
9. Orange
Of course, we can't forget the orange, another popular citrus fruit. A medium-sized oval of this fruit might contain around 12-14g of sugar, but, like peaches and some other fruits on this side of the list, it has a low GI (glycemic index), so it won't lead to rapid blood sugar spikes. Plus, oranges are loaded with vitamin C, making them a great way to boost your intake.
10. Raspberry
Whether you're snacking on strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries, they all won't set you back too much, given that they all hover around 7g of sugar. Blueberries, on the other hand, may be the only one you'll want to watch out for, given that a one-cup serving contains around 15g of sugar. But on the opposite end of the spectrum, raspberries contain the least: a one-cup serving contains only about 5g of sugar.
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