11 Worst Fruit for Diabetes
When it comes to satisfying a sweet tooth, a lot of Diabetics turn to fruit.
Fruits mainly have fructose as a sugar, which is better than sucrose or pure glucose when it comes to keeping blood sugar levels constant. It’s not fool-proof though.
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When it comes to satisfying a sweet tooth, a lot of Diabetics turn to fruit.
Fruits mainly have fructose as a sugar, which is better than sucrose or pure glucose when it comes to keeping blood sugar levels constant. It’s not fool-proof though.
Some fruits can still give you a sugar spike if you aren’t careful!
Common Fruits That AREN’t Diabetic Friendly:
When it comes to managing blood sugar levels it’s always good to stay below 15g of carbs per 100g serving. If you take a look at fruits, a lot of the carb count is actually sugar. And even though the fiber count is slightly higher than say in a doughnut, that sugar is still going to affect your blood sugar levels quicker than normal starches would.
Here are some common fruits that can cause Diabetics to experience high blood sugar levels, especially when consumed in large quantities:
|
Fruit |
Total Carbs |
Sugar |
Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kiwis |
15 |
9 |
3 |
|
Pears |
15,5 |
9,5 |
3,5 |
|
Passion Fruit |
23 |
11 |
10 |
|
Papayas |
15,7 |
11,3 |
2,5 |
|
Bananas |
23 |
12 |
2,6 |
|
Mangos |
15 |
14 |
1,6 |
|
Pomegranates |
19 |
14 |
4 |
|
Lychees |
17 |
15 |
1,3 |
|
Plantains |
32 |
15 |
2,3 |
|
Grapes |
17 |
16 |
0,9 |
|
Persimmons |
33,5 |
22 |
7 |
Kiwis may only have 15g total carbs, but more than half of that (9g) is sugar and with only 3g fiber, they are relatively easy to digest and can cause a blood sugar spike if you aren’t careful.
Mangos have 15g total carbs of which a whopping 14g is sugar. It’s a good idea to keep mango portions very small and add lots of high fiber, low sugar carbs to the meal to make sure your blood sugar doesn’t spike and suddenly drop.
Pears have 15,5g total carbs, with 9,5g which makes them quite sweet. They do however have 3,5g of fiber, making them slightly better than kiwis on the diabetes front.
Papayas are a lot like mangoes. They have 15,7g total carbs of which 11,3g is sugar. So while they’re slightly better than a mango, they still have a big probability of increasing blood sugar levels.
Lychees are little sugar bombs with 15g of the 17g total carbs as sugars. Their low fiber count (1,3g) doesn’t help to maintain blood sugar levels either.
Grapes are even worse than lychees. They have 17g total carbs of which 16g is sugar and only 0,9g is fiber. Even small portions of grapes have the propensity to increase blood sugar levels to an unbearable amount.
Pomegranates have 19g total carbs with a healthy 4g fiber. Unfortunately they also have 14g sugar, making them less suitable for diabetics than fruits with less sugar.
Passion Fruit has 23g total carbs but luckily less than half of that is sugar and a whole 10g of fiber. The 11g of sugar in the juicy bits of a passion fruit can be a bit much if you have too much, but small portions should be relatively safe.
Bananas are, surprisingly, more diabetic friendly than people realize. While they may be high in total carbs (23g), only about half of this is sugar (12g), and because bananas aren’t juicy, the sugar and fiber (2,6g) is relatively evenly distributed, making them more difficult to digest than passion fruit pulp, for example. The high carb count does however mean that you should be careful of eating too much at once.
Plantains are a sweeter version of bananas. They have 32g total carbs with less than half of that amounting to sugars (15g). Unfortunately they also have less fiber (2,3g), so they remain a fruit to watch out for if you have diabetes.
Persimmons may be high in fiber (7g), but they do have a total of 33,5g carbs. On top of this 22g of that is sugar, making persimmons a fruit that is best avoided.
Which Fruits ARE safe for Diabetics?
|
Fruit |
Sugar |
Fiber |
Total Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Olives |
0 |
3,2 |
6,3 |
|
Horned Melon |
0 |
2,5 |
8 |
|
Avocados |
0,7 |
7 |
9 |
|
Limes |
1,7 |
2,8 |
11 |
|
Lemons |
2,5 |
2,8 |
9 |
|
Cherry Tomatoes |
2,63 |
1,2 |
3,92 |
|
Cranberries (fresh) |
4 |
4,6 |
12,2 |
|
Starfruit |
4 |
2,8 |
7 |
|
Raspberries |
4,4 |
7 |
12 |
|
Blackberries |
4,9 |
5 |
10 |
|
Strawberries |
4,9 |
2 |
8 |
|
Charentais Melon |
5 |
1 |
6 |
|
Crenshaw Melon |
5,3 |
0,5 |
6,5 |
|
Coconut Meat |
6 |
9 |
15 |
|
Watermelon |
6 |
0,4 |
8 |
|
Canary Melon |
6 |
- |
7 |
|
Hami Melon |
6,7 |
1,1 |
7,9 |
|
Grapefruit (White) |
7 |
1.1 |
8 |
|
Grapefruit (pink and red) |
7 |
1,6 |
11 |
|
Korean Melon |
7,15 |
0,8 |
7,4 |
|
Dragon Fruit |
8 |
3 |
13 |
|
Nectarines |
8 |
1,7 |
11 |
|
Cherries |
8 |
1,6 |
12 |
|
Peaches |
8 |
1,5 |
10 |
|
Cantaloupe |
8 |
0,9 |
8 |
|
Honeydew Melon |
8 |
0,8 |
9 |
|
Guavas |
9 |
5 |
14 |
|
Apricots |
9 |
2 |
11 |
|
Clementines |
9 |
1,7 |
12 |
|
Sprite Melon |
9 |
0,3 |
9,5 |
|
Oranges |
9,4 |
2,4 |
11,8 |
|
Apples |
10 |
2,4 |
14 |
|
Blueberries |
10 |
2,4 |
14 |
|
Plums |
10 |
1,4 |
11 |
|
Pineapples |
10 |
1,4 |
13 |
|
Tangerines |
11 |
1,8 |
13 |
|
Santa Claus Melon |
12 |
1 |
13 |
Berries
Some berries are completely safe for diabetics, while others come with a few words of caution. Generally they are all considered relatively safe though, provided portions are limited.
Are Blueberries Diabetic Safe?
Blueberries are relatively safe for diabetics. Blueberries have 14g carbs per 100g. 10g of that is sugar, which is quite high. So while they are safe, it’s best to stick to 100g or less size portions.
Are Blackberries Diabetic Safe?
Blackberries are very safe for diabetics. With only 10g of carbs per 100g, less than half of that sugar (4.9g) and exactly half fiber (5g), this is one of the most low GI berries you will find.
Are Raspberries Diabetic Safe?
Raspberries are diabetic safe thanks to their high fiber count (7g). They are also quite low in sugar (4,4g) with a total carb count of only 12g of carbs per 100g.
Are Cherries Diabetic Friendly?
Cherries are relatively safe for diabetics, as long as portion sizes and other meal ingredients are monitored closely. Cherries may only have 12g of carbohydrates per 100g, but 8g of that is sugar. They also have a relatively low fiber count (1,6g), making them quite high on the GI scale.
Are Goji Berries Diabetic Safe?
The dried version is definitely not diabetic safe. Dried Goji berries have 77g carbs (46g sugar) per 100g. Even a couple of Goji berries can spike your blood sugar levels very quickly.
Are Cranberries Diabetic Safe?
Depends, are you having dried or fresh?
Fresh cranberries have 4g sugar, 4,6g dietary fiber and a total of 12,2g carbs per 100g. This is relatively safe for diabetics.
BUT
Dried cranberries have 65g sugar, 6g dietary fiber and a total of 82g carbs per 100g. And like dried Goji berries, this is definitely not safe. Dried cranberries are also more likely to have added sugar to help preserve them during the drying process.
Are Strawberries Diabetic Safe?
Yes, strawberries are diabetic safe. They are relatively low in carbs (8g) although their sugar count is comparatively high at 4,9g. The dietary fiber (2g) does make up for this, making it a relatively safe berry for diabetics.
Melons
These sweet fruits can be surprisingly safe for diabetics. They do however have a relatively low fiber count, so do keep an eye on portion sizes and the total carb count for that meal.
Is Watermelon Diabetic Safe?
Yes, watermelon is safe for diabetics. Surprisingly it has only 8g of carbs per 100g, but more than half of that is sugar (6g) and very little fiber (0,4g). Too much watermelon in a single serving can still spike your blood sugar, so keep an eye on portion sizes!
Is Cantaloupe Diabetic Safe?
Cantaloupe is less safe than watermelon, They may have the same carbs per 100g (8g), but all of these are sugars in cantaloupe. In other words Cantelope is more likely than watermelon to spike your blood sugar levels if eaten in excess Take care with portion sizes!
Is Crenshaw Melon Diabetic Safe?
Crenshaw melon is relatively diabetic safe, with only 6,5g of carbs per 100g. Of this 5,3g are sugars but only 0,5g is fiber. It ranks as quite high on the GI scale, but relative carb to weight ratios make this relatively safe for diabetics if portion sizes are monitored properly.
Is Honeydew Melon Diabetic Safe?
Honeydew melons are relatively safe for diabetics, provided portions are well monitored. Honeydew melons are a lot like cantaloupe. They are relatively low in carbs (9g per 100g), but they do have a lot of sugar (8g) and relatively little fiber (0,8g).
Is Korean Melon Diabetic Safe?
Korean melons are relatively safe for diabetics. Again, their carb count is quite low (7,4g per 100g), but their sugar content is high (7,15g) and their fiber content is low (0,8g). This makes them quite high GI and portions size should be well monitored.
Is Canary Melon Diabetic Safe?
Canary melons are quite diabetic safe. They only have 7g carbs per 100g. But the majority of carbs are sugars (6g), so as with most other melons it’s best to ply it safe and limit portion sizes when it comes to Canary melons.
Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are abnormal when it comes to their GI and therefore their safety rating for diabetics.
While they are high in fiber, which should mean they have a low GI, their sugary juice is easily released from the fiber by chewing. This means that the fiber count can basically be disregarded as a reliable measure of GI.
In other words, what matters for this type of fruit are the total carbs and sugar counts more than fiber.
Are Oranges Diabetic Safe?
Oranges are relatively safe for diabetics. They have a relatively low carb count (11,8g per 100g), but most of these are sugars (9,4g). The high fiber count (2,4g) does help a bit, but not enough. This means oranges are okay for diabetics to eat, as long as portions are limited to about 50g each.
Are Tangerines Diabetic Safe?
Tangerines are relatively safe, but they are the least safe of all citrus fruits. They have a lot of sugar (11g per 100g), making them highly likely to cause a sugar spike if eaten in excess. Portion sizes should definitely be limited. When they are eaten in small quantities (no more than 40g at a time), tangerines are safe for diabetics to eat.
Are Limes Diabetic Safe?
Limes are very low in sugar (1,7g per 100g), but quite a bit higher in carbs (11g). THis means that they are definitely a good option for diabetics, as long as the total carbs of a meal is still less than 60g of carbs limes are perfectly safe for diabetics.
Are Grapefruit Diabetic Safe?
Pink or red grapefruit are not as safe for diabetics as white grapefruit. In fact this is where the line is between safe and relatively safe. Both types of grapefruit contain 7g of sugar, making the carb count the deciding factor between the two.
White grapefruit is safe for diabetics as they have only 8g of carbs per 100g.
Red or pink grapefruit have more carbs (11g), making them relatively safe for diabetics.
In both cases it’s best to keep portion sizes in check and have no more than 5g at a time.
Are Lemons Diabetic Safe?
Lemons are definitely safe for diabetics. They may not be as safe as limes, but they’re close! Lemons have 9g of carbs per 100g, and only 2,5g of that is sugar.