The Best Low-Carb Fruits (and the Worst)
This one’s not just for all you low-carbers! Here’s a quick guide to the best and worst fruits according to their sugar content and nutritional value. If you enjoy sweets and find yourself relying (or perhaps suffering) on Splenda and mockalate far too often, enjoy a sensible selection of fruit instead.
These are our favorite fruits:
Berries
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries, salmon berries, gooseberries – they’re all packed with antioxidants and vitamins. These little fiber bombs are the smartest, most nutritionally-dense fruit you can eat. Aim for a half-cup to one cup daily. Keep in mind that these fruits, especially strawberries and raspberries, are excellent on grilled meats and in salads, so go ahead and experiment! (Glycemic Index: generally low to mid-20’s)
Cherries
Cherries are similar to berries in terms of their antioxidant value. They have a bit higher natural sugar content, but they’re still very low-carb and are an excellent source of important fiber. Cherries are amazing with bacon, feta and greens; or try them smothered atop pork chops. Hungry yet? (GI: 22)
Apples and Pears
These northern fruits are related to the rose. They’re low in sugar and contain a respectable amount of fiber. While antioxidants aren’t exactly overflowing from your average Granny Smith, apples (and pears) are still a great way to satisfy a craving for sweetness without terrorizing your pancreas. (GI: 38
Grapefruit
Most citrus fruits are quite high in sugar, but grapefruits are not. In fact, their effect on blood sugar is less than apples and pears at only 25. Just don’t ruin a smart thing with a sprinkling of sugar on top! Grapefruit is excellent in salads, especially when paired with avocado slices.
Bonus: biggest grapefruit ever
Apricots and Peaches
With similar nutritional value as apples and pears, these stone fruits are a smart way to get a good dose of vitamin C and fiber. Avoid nectarines, which are much higher in sugar and are more akin to mangoes and papayas. (GI: 30s)
Figs
Oh, the forgotten fig. It seems to get lumped into the dates ‘n raisins category, but figs are just as low in sugar as strawberries, and are packed with fiber (all those tender, tiny seeds). Enjoy these fresh whenever they’re in season.
These fruits are high in sugar, so don’t make them a daily habit:
- Melons
Some low-carb guides will recommend melons, but you do have to be mindful of which ones you’re going for. Both cantaloupes and watermelons are very high in sugar (GI: 65, 100 respectively). We recommend making melons a rare treat.
- Mangoes and Papayas
Though not as sugary as pineapples, these fruits are best enjoyed infrequently. A better choice is the banana, which – although starchy and a 55 on the glycemic index – is a smarter energy source.
- Pineapples
Pineapple is the best source of bromelain, an enzyme that can help with joint health and inflammation. Some folks are intolerant or allergic (if you get irritated lip or mouth tissues after eating pineapple, this is why). Pineapple is very high in sugar, but it’s full of valuable nutrients in addition to bromelain, so enjoy it guilt-free from time to time.
Sources:
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I can personally attest to merriment that is the blueberry. Blueberries were found on Custer’s men after Little Big Horn .
I love apricots and I also love peaches.
Thanks for the article.
A little funny story about mangos. My husband has had a rash off and on for months. Just weird. We tried lots of things. Finally we discovered that he is allergic to the sap on the skin, not the fruit itself. Similar to poison ivy. For awhile he was on a mango kick. So now, when he’s in the mood,I have to peel them.
“Melons
Some low-carb guides will recommend melons, but you do have to be mindful of which ones you’re going for. Both cantaloupes and watermelons are very high in sugar (GI: 65, 100 respectively). We recommend making melons a rare treat.”
No, they’re not. Watermelons are mostly water. Cantaloupes are a bit more dense, but both melons have low glycemic LOADS – 4.72 for watermelon and 4.65 for cantaloupe, lower than peaches (5.64) and apples (6.38),(http://www.mendosa.com/common_foods.htm) AHEM. You’d have to eat the whole darn melon to spike your glucose. A small bowl is just fine. Watermelon has antioxidants and cantaloupes are just loaded with nutrition. Go easy on the cantaloupe and you’ll miss out on more than 100% DV of vitamins C and A (beta carotene), plus a good dose of potassium, folate, and phytosterols. I’ve been eating cantaloupe almost every day since it came into season. Think I’ll go have a bowl right now. Bye!
Thanks for this detailed list. I actually need the spike in sugar. It helps with my low-blood sugar problems.
Fruit always seems like a good choice, low-carb or not.
I’m interested in the cantelope discussion because they are definitely on the menu now. I normally don’t eat too many because I hate paying for them when I can remember getting them 6 for $1.00! But we’ve had a good run of them here (Corpus Chisti TX) recently and I really enjoy eating them.
Aha! Thanks, Sonagi. Here’s a helpful link: http://www.nutritiondata.com/topics/glycemic-index#values
I like these fruits. It will help our good health.
I wouldn’t base my diet on the GI
People believe that the Glycemic Index tests the glucose response of 50 grams of a food serving compared to 50 grams of glucose.
The truth is that the Glycemic Index tests the average glucose response of 50 grams of a single food (not eating within a meal) in 35 diabetic women and men.
In other words there’s a very little chance that you’ll have the same negative or positive response when eating that same food. Studies are showing that the glycemic response depends on the individual and can’t be standardized which is what the GI vainly attempts to do.
It’s very common to see someone’s blood sugar going off balance for a food which is considered low GI and remaining stable with a food which is considered high GI.
If you test your food response with a glucometer you’ll see how unreliable the glycemic index is.
So since there’s no truth to the sentence “X food = X GI” there’s no point in avoiding certain fruits because of their GI.
What about grapes? I’ve been told they are the worst fruit one can eat…
Also, what is your take on dried fruit? Obviously it won’t be as good as fresh fruit but is it still beneficial to eat?
I truly enjoy finding the Primal Blueprint.
Your comments are just what I needed while here in China.
The selection is different but the fruits and Vegetables (many are the same)can be a challenge to see where many fit in your lists. Almost every thing here is seasonal, so it changes rapidly.
Down 12 pounds from your daily reminders
Thank you for the inspiration.
ML Graham
Grapes are very healthy foods
They’re healthier than apples in “keeping the doctor away” and are suggested when there’s flu in the air. But you don’t have to eat a lot of them.
Strange no one mentioned bananas.
re: pineapple – a little known fact i learned in a tropical ecology course. The central hard core of the pineapple contains the highest concentration of bromelian in the fruit, and it functions as a meat tenderizer! The tingly tongue and lip sensations can be pretty much eliminated if you avoid the core of the pineapple (on the rare occasions that you do indulge in it!).
@Crystal re: mangoes – they’re in the same plant family as poison ivy! cashews are too. who’d have thunk, hey?