8 Low-Sugar Fruits
Hunger pangs? These organic gems will improve your health while also cutting down on your glucose intake. (PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY WASHBURN/GETTY)
by Jordan Davidson, for Rodale’s Organic Life
Skipping sugar may be the current craze, but if you’re eliminating organic fruit from your diet you’re doing yourself a disservice. “Fruit provides a lot of things we need,” says registered dietician Bonnie Taub-Dix, author of Read It Before You Eat It. “It provides vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It also hydrates us and provides us with fiber, which fills us up.”
Related: 19 Ways To Give Up Sugar
If you are avoiding sugar—for diabetes management or just to improve your health—there are plenty of guilt-free fruits you can eat.
1. Strawberries
PHOTOGRAPH BY CMCD LIBRARY
Berries are a great option when it comes to picking fruit that’s low in sugar. A cup of strawberries has only seven grams of sugar and provides more than your daily recommendation of vitamin C.
2. Grapefruit
PHOTOGRAPH BY GETTY
The best way to minimize your sugar intake is to be mindful of your portion sizes, says Taub-Dix. Grapefruit is a great option as an alternative to sugary snacks, but stick to the serving size—half of one of the fruits, which contains only 8 grams of sugar.
3. Avocados
PHOTOGRAPH BY GENERIC RFS
They may not be the top of mind when it comes to fruit, but they’re just as satisfying. In addition to being low in sugar, avocados are full of healthy fats and fiber. One avocado has a little over a gram of sugar.
4. Raspberries
PHOTOGRAPH BY CREATAS
These berries are surprisingly low in sugar given their sweet taste: One cup contains only five grams of sugar. And with eight grams of fiber, they’re more likely to leave you feeling full than other fruit.
5. Blackberries
PHOTOGRAPH BY MATTHEW BENSON
This is another hall-of-fame berry: One cup packs seven grams of sugar, eight grams of fiber, and two grams of protein.
6. Apples
PHOTOGRAPH BY RODALE IMAGES
If you have diabetes or are concerned about how fruit is affecting your blood sugar, consider changing the way you eat it. A whole apple has a lower glycemic index than apple juice, says Taub-Dix. On its own, one medium apple harbors only 19 grams of sugar, whereas a cup of unsweetened apple juice has about 24.
Related: And The Most Nutritious Apple Is…
7. Peaches
PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOTO ALTO
When you are craving something sweet, reach for a juicy peach instead. One medium peach contains about 13 grams of sugar.
8. Oranges
PHOTOGRAPH BY CORBIS
As with apples, you’re better off eating the whole fruit than drinking its juice. A standard orange has 12 grams of sugar and more than the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. A cup of unsweetened OJ, meanwhile, has twice the amount of sugar and only a third of the fiber.
This article was originally published on Rodale’s Organic Life.
More from Rodale’s Organic Life:
20 Super Healthy Smoothie Recipes
