Fruits are powerhouses of nutrients, packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a variety of disease-fighters called phytochemicals. The USDA recommends that most adults should eat about two cups of fruit daily, thanks to evidence that it lowers your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and other health threats.
However, fruits get their sweet taste from a natural form of sugar called fructose. Your body quickly converts this carbohydrate to glucose, which can cause your blood sugar levels to rise -- just what you’re trying to avoid when managing diabetes.
That doesn’t mean you need to stay away from fruits, however. In fact, these delicious foods should be a routine part of your diet. But what’s the best fruit for diabetes? Fortunately, with a little planning and careful choosing, you can enjoy a variety of fruits.
How Do Fruits Affect Blood Sugar?
When you eat fruits, your body absorbs their fructose. However, your cells can’t use fructose as a source of energy, as they prefer the form of blood sugar called glucose. To fix this problem, enzymes in your liver convert much of the fructose in fruit to glucose, which is then released into your bloodstream, causing your blood sugar to rise.
However, fruits also contain fiber, which helps to slow down this converted glucose as it enters your blood. That’s just one reason why fruits make for a healthier snack or dessert than other carb-rich foods and beverages such as candy and soda pop, which lack fiber. Still, if you have diabetes, you need to manage your carb intake as part of your overall plan for keeping your blood sugar in check.
If you’re having trouble keeping your blood sugar under control, let your doctor know right away.
Benefits of Fruits for People With Diabetes
If you have diabetes, fruits aren't off-limits. In fact, they have many benefits for people dealing with this condition.
Reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. If you have diabetes, your risk for a heart attack or stroke is twice that of the average person. You also have an increased risk of developing these conditions at a younger age than someone who doesn’t have diabetes. The nutrients in fruits help guard against heart attacks, strokes, and other forms of cardiovascular disease by protecting blood vessels, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and making blood less likely to clot, among other benefits.
Better control of blood sugar and weight. The fiber in fruits not only helps prevent blood sugar spikes by slowing digestion but also makes you feel fuller, which can help you keep a healthy weight. Also, if you don’t have diabetes, including frequent servings of fruit in your daily meal plan can help keep the condition at bay, research suggests. One study that included more than 200,000 people found that eating at least five servings of fruits rich in a chemical called anthocyanin (such as blueberries, apples, and pears) each week reduced the risk for type 2 diabetes by 23%.
Better overall health. The fiber in fruits aids digestion in another way, by helping ensure that you have regular bowel movements. And since water makes up much of the content of fruit, it helps you stay hydrated, too.
Fruits for Diabetes: How Much Can I Eat?
One serving of fruit has 15 grams of carbs. But the serving size can be very different depending on the type of fruit. For example, you get 15 grams of carbs from:
- 1/2 medium apple or banana
- 1 cup blackberries or raspberries
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- 1 1/4 cup whole strawberries
- 1 cup cubed honeydew melon
- 1/8 cup raisins
Carbs aren’t the only number to keep in mind. The glycemic index (GI) measures how a food affects your blood sugar. Foods that are low on the scale raise it slowly. Those high on the scale raise it quickly.
Eating mostly low-GI foods can help you keep control of your blood sugar. But they may not always be good for you. A candy bar and a cup of brown rice can have the same GI value. Be sure to keep nutrition in mind when choosing what to eat.
While the GI is a useful number to know, it doesn’t always give an accurate picture of how much a food will raise your blood sugar. That’s because the GI doesn’t tell you how many carbohydrates you’re actually getting when you eat a specific food. So, nutrition experts developed a metric called the glycemic load (GL), which combines portion size and GI to give you a better idea of how much a food actually raises your blood sugar. For example, an orange has a GI of 52 but a glycemic load of 4.4, which is low. A candy bar with a GI of 55 may have a GL of 22.1, which is high.
Healthy Ways to Eat Fruits
Small steps can make a big difference in your blood sugar levels. Be sure to:
- Watch your portion sizes, especially with dried fruit. For example, two tablespoons of raisins have the same amount of carbs as a small apple.
- Choose fresh or frozen fruit when you can. Processed fruits such as applesauce and canned fruit in syrup or juice often have more carbs and can raise your blood sugar higher than fresh fruits.
- When you eat dried or processed fruit, check the label. Many have added sugar, and serving sizes can be very small.
- Go easy on the fruit juice. It’s high in carbs (8 ounces of apple juice has 29 grams of carbs). And it doesn’t have fiber to slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes such as whole fruit does. Research even links drinking lots of fruit juice to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Spread your fruit out over the day. Instead of two servings for breakfast, have one at breakfast and another at lunch or as a snack.
- Combine fruit with other foods that contain fat and protein. Like fiber, these macronutrients help keep blood sugar from spiking when you eat carbs. Try spreading peanut butter on apple slices or eat berries with yogurt. The protein and fat will also help you feel full sooner, so you’ll eat less.
Best Fruits for Diabetes
All fruits have vitamins, phytochemicals, and other things that make them good for you. But some are more likely to lower your chances of chronic disease:
| Fruit | Calories | Carbohydrates (grams) | Fiber (grams) |
| Blackberries (1 cup) | 64 | 14 | 7.6 |
| Tomatoes (1 cup, sliced or chopped) | 32 | 7 | 2 |
| Cherries (1 cup) | 74 | 19 | 2.5 |
| Nectarine (1, sliced) | 61 | 15 | 2.4 |
| Orange (1 medium) | 69 | 17 | 3 |
| Peach (1 cup, sliced) | 66 | 16 | 2.6 |
| Pear (1 medium) | 96 | 26 | 5 |
| Pomegranate (1 whole) | 105 | 26 | 1 |
| Strawberries (1 cup) | 46 | 11 | 3 |
Are grapefruits good for people with diabetes?
Grapefruit has many health benefits. It contains phytochemicals that fight heart disease, reduce inflammation, and strengthen the immune system. Grapefruit is a good choice if you have diabetes since it has a GI of 26. That’s low, which means eating a serving of grapefruit won’t cause a steep spike in your blood sugar.
Other Low-GI Fruits for Diabetes
Several other varieties of fruits have a relatively mild effect on your blood sugar, making them great choices if you have diabetes. The fiber in fresh fruit helps keep most types low on the GI scale (55 or under). Examples include:
The fiber in fresh fruit helps keep most of them low on the GI scale (55 or under). Examples include:
- Apples (GI of 39)
- Bananas (GI of 55)
- Pears (GI of 30)
- Blueberries and raspberries (GI of 53)
- Cherries (GI of 20)
- Figs, pomegranates, and oranges (GI of 35)
- Grapes (GI of 45)
- Prunes (GI of 40)
- Strawberries (GI of 25)
High-GI Fruits
A few fruits are on the moderate to higher end of the GI scale (55 or higher). These include:
- Dates (dried) (GI of 62)
- Mangoes (GI of 60)
- Pineapple (GI of 58)
- Raisins (GI of 66)
- Watermelon (GI of 76)
Are apples high in sugar?
Apples are relatively high in sugar, but they’re still a good choice. A large apple has about 25 grams of sugar, which is significantly higher than the sugar content of a banana or orange, for example. However, apples are also high in fiber, which helps slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. That’s why eating an apple won’t cause a big surge in blood sugar.
Takeaways
People who have diabetes are often under the impression that they should avoid fruits, as they contain sugar. However, just the opposite is true — enjoying these sweet, nutritious foods can help you lower your risk for many chronic diseases, without interfering with good control of your blood sugar. If you choose wisely and keep portion size in mind, you can include several servings of fruit in your daily meal plan.
Best Fruits for Diabetes FAQs
What fruits are good for diabetes?
All fruits contain important nutrients, so it’s wise to eat a variety. However, some fruits have a relatively mild effect on blood sugar, including apples, cherries, oranges, pears, and strawberries.
What fruit does not spike blood sugar?
Any fruit you eat will cause your blood sugar to rise, but some only produce a small increase. Some fruits that do not cause a spike in blood sugar include apples, cherries, oranges, pears, and strawberries.
What 10 foods should people with diabetes eat?
Every person has their own food preferences, so if you have diabetes, work with your doctor or a registered dietitian to figure out what foods are best for you. The American Diabetes Association recommends these 10 Diabetes Superstar Foods:
- Avocados
- Beans and legumes
- Berries
- Citrus fruits
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and sardines
- Milk
- Nuts
- Whole grains, such as whole oats and quinoa
- Yogurt
What should you eat to reverse diabetes?
There are no foods that reverse diabetes. Eating less food and losing weight may reverse diabetes, however. Reducing your intake of food and drinks with added sugars, red meat, and processed foods while eating more fruits, vegetables, and fiber may help.
Are kiwis good for people with diabetes?
Kiwis can be a good choice if you have diabetes. A typical kiwi has a glycemic index of 39, which means it causes only a modest increase in blood sugar levels.
