On A Diet? Check Your Fruit For Sugar Content

We all want to eat healthily, but you also want to lose weight you may want to check how much fruit you are eating as it can seriously impact your diet.

Fruit is good for you of course as it has fibre and other nutrients you need. But it also has natural sugar, and some have more than others so check out your favourites here.

Mangoes

One mango has a whopping 45 grams of sugar — not your best choice if you’re trying to watch your weight or how much sugar you eat. Maybe enjoy a couple of slices and save the rest for later as they are a good source of vitamin C.

Grapes

A friend – who is diabetic – once described these to me as ‘little bombs of sugar’ and she wasn’t wrong as a cup has about 23 grams of it.

That’s a lot for something that’s so easy to pop in your mouth, but you might eat them more slowly if you slice them in half and freeze them. They’ll be waiting for you as a refreshing treat that takes a bit longer to eat.

Cherries

Anyone suffering from gout might be eating Montmorency cherries as they are known to help relieve it – but all cherries are sweet, and they have the sugar to show for it.

A cup of them has 18 grams. If you fill up a large bowl with them, you can lose track of how many you eat. Measure your snack beforehand so you know exactly how much sugar you’ll get.

Pears

One medium pear has 17 grams of sugar. If you’re trying to cut back, don’t eat the whole thing — just put a few slices in some yogurt or on top of a salad.

Watermelon

I confess this is my my weakness as I can eat a half of a whole one anytime. But, a medium wedge has 17 grams of sugar.

As its name suggests, it’s loaded with water, and it has special minerals called electrolytes that are just what your body needs to recharge but just keep it to a slice or two.

Figs

Two medium-size ones have 16 grams. If you’re trying to keep an eye on your sugar, maybe slice a couple and spread some goats cheese on them for a protein-rich treat, or use in a sauce to add some zip to lean meats like chicken.

Bananas

This is as tricky one as they are rich in potassium and fibre and may help prevent asthma, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and digestive problems.

However one medium banana has 14 grams sugar so if that seems like more than you bargained for, slice half of it into your morning cereal.

A warning here: People who use beta blockers should not suddenly increase their intake of bananas.

Healthier options

Avocados are not what you think of as fruit, but it is, and has only half a gram of sugar. Put it in a salad, spread it on toast, or make some guacamole.

But while they’re low in sugar, they’re high in calories, so it might not be a good idea to make them a daily habit.

Guavas have 5 grams of sugar and about 3 grams of fibre per piece of fruit. That’s more fibre than you’d get from a serving of brown rice or a slice of whole-grain bread.

You’ll get even more fibre if you add guavas with the skin on to your smoothies.

Strawberries practically all berries are a healthy addition to your diet and a cup of whole strawberries has only 7 grams of sugar.

Raspberries are another great berry and pack a serious punch of fibre with 8 grams per cup — and only 5 grams of sugar. The fibre is good for digestion and can help you feel fuller with fewer calories.

Blueberries contain moderate amounts of sugar around 15 grams per cup . However, they don’t have adverse effects on blood sugar levels, which may be due to their high content of bioactive compounds

Cantaloupe even though it’s a melon, the flavour and satisfaction packed in a single medium wedge can come from just 5 grams of sugar — and only 23 calories. Try it with some cottage cheese as part of a healthy salad.

Papayas are good as only half of a small one has 6 grams of sugar. Even a small one is pretty big, so half is plenty to eat at one time.

It’s a good source of folate and potassium and contains the enzyme papain, useful in protein digestion.

Peaches are not an obvious choice, but though they taste sweet, a medium sized peach only contains around 13 grams of sugar.

Passion fruit are rich in potassium, and fibre, you’ll get just 16 calories per fruit. Slice it in half, and scoop out and eat the seeds and pulp.

Star fruit has a sweet-tart taste and each one has 40 calories and is a great source of vitamin C. Wash, slice, and eat the entire star-shaped treat. You don’t need to peel or seed it. Add it to salads or savory dishes, or use as a garnish. Don’t eat it if you have kidney problems, since star fruit naturally has kidney stone-forming oxalic acid.

Pomegranates are not a year round treat, but are loaded with fibre. Only the seeds are edible or you can squeeze for ruby red juice and half a cup has 80 calories.

Guava have an edible rind and are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, fibre, potassium, and phosphorus, and you can use it in juices, jams, and desserts.

Kiwi fruit have only 70 calories, as well as being a great source of potassium and fibre, with twice the vitamin C of an orange.