The Best And Worst Fruits For Diabetics. Fruits contain fructose and glucose which the body digest easily. They also supply vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which are necessary for overall health. Many people with Diabetes tend to avoid eating fruits as they fear a rise in sugar level but they should know that its perfectly normal. There are ample amount of fruits that can be consumed by diabetics even after the disease is under control with medicines and diet. In this article we have selected 15 best and 15 worst fruits for diabetics.”
The Best and Worst Fruits to Eat If You Have Diabetes
Learn why people with diabetes should eat fruit—plus, find out which fruits are best and how much is OK to have each day.
Good news for fruit lovers everywhere: eating fresh fruit is associated with a lower risk of diabetes and a lower risk of complications if you already have the disease, according to a recent study published in PLOS Medicine.
If you’ve been steering clear of fruit because of the sugar content, there’s no reason to do so, according to this study. Over a seven-year time period, researchers analyzed the diet and health outcomes of more than 500,000 Chinese adults. The researchers found that higher fruit consumption was not associated with higher blood sugar, even for people with diabetes. Adults who consumed fruit more frequently actually had a lower risk of developing diabetes.
The study only analyzed fresh fruit consumption, not dried fruit or fruit juice, so we turned to a few registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators to clarify the best and worst fruits, appropriate serving sizes, and how many carbohydrates you should get from fruit each day.
First it’s important to note that “diabetes care is individualized,” says Staci Freeworth, R.D., C.D.E., and professor of nutrition at Bowling Green State University. This is why it is important for people with diabetes to see a certified diabetes educator. These specialists can break down how many carbohydrates you should be eating each day based on your individual needs and health history.
Best Fruits to Eat
Recipe to Try: Purple Fruit Salad
Whether you have diabetes or not, the consensus from dietitians is the same regarding which fruits are best to eat.
“The best fruits for everyone to eat are the ones that create the least influence on blood sugar, often termed ‘low glycemic load,’ even if you don’t have diabetes,” says Daphne Olivier, R.D., C.D.E., founder of My Food Coach. “These include fruits with rich, deep colors such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries and kiwi. The rich color is a result of antioxidants-which we know help to neutralize free radicals-but there are also other benefits to antioxidants that we cannot explain.”
Amber Gourley, M.S., R.D., of the Disobedient Dietitian agrees: “As a general rule, I tell my clients to go for darker-colored fruits. Studies show that Americans don’t get enough dark purple and red fruits, and these fruits contain some of the best sources of anti-inflammatory antioxidants.”
Eat More of These Fruits:
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Dark cherries
- Kiwi
Worst Fruits to Eat
Recipe to Try: Pineapple & Avocado Salad
One caveat: no fruit is “the worst.” All fruit delivers fiber and nutrients and can be part of a healthy diet. However, bananas, pineapples and mangoes get a bad rap for their higher sugar content compared to berries.
Don’t avoid them altogether, though. Instead, the focus should be on decreasing how quickly your blood sugar rises. For example, if you eat a banana by itself, your blood sugar will rise fairly quickly. “But if you pair fruit with foods that have healthy fats in them, such as blueberries with walnuts or apricots with mozzarella cheese, you will decrease the influence of the fruit on your blood sugar,” Olivier says. “These fats slow down the absorption of the glucose from fruit and prevent your blood sugar from spiking as high.” Nuts and nut butters, plain yogurt, cheese and even avocado will all help blunt your blood sugar response when eating fruit, due to their protein and fat content.
The advice you’ve heard to eat the whole fruit (like the Fresh Fruit Salad, pictured above) instead of drinking fruit juice follows the same reasoning. “The whole fruit has fiber, which is lost in the juice,” Gourley says. Fiber helps slow the absorption of the sugar. “It’s also easy to consume far more carbohydrates than necessary when drinking fruit juice,” she says.
The same goes for dried fruit: “Dried fruit is a great snack, but 1/4 cup has 15 grams of carbohydrates, so I suggest using dried fruit on salads or mixed into plain yogurt instead of eating it alone,” Gourley says.
How Much Fruit Is Too Much?
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that adult men and women consume on average two cups of fruit per day. A one-cup serving would be one piece of fruit, like an apple or peach, or one cup of cut-up fruit. Specific guidelines and amounts can be found at ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Olivier says, “In general, having about a handful size of fruit three times daily is appropriate.” Just remember to pair it with protein or fat. “An apple as a snack can raise blood sugar faster than an apple with almond butter,” she says.
Best and Worst Foods for Diabetes
Your food choices matter a lot when you’ve got diabetes. Some are better than others.
Nothing is completely off-limits. Even items that you might think of as “the worst” could be occasional treats — in tiny amounts. But they won’t help you nutrition-wise, and it’s easiest to manage your diabetes if you mainly stick to the “best” options.
Starches
Your body needs carbs. But you want to choose wisely. Use this list as a guide.
Best Choices
- Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, millet, or amaranth
- Baked sweet potato
- Items made with whole grains and no (or very little) added sugar
Worst Choices
- Processed grains, such as white rice or white flour
- Cereals with little whole grains and lots of sugar
- White bread
- French fries
- Fried white-flour tortillas
Vegetables
Load up! You’ll get fiber and very little fat or salt (unless you add them). Remember, potatoes and corn count as carbs.
Best Choices
- Fresh veggies, eaten raw or lightly steamed, roasted, or grilled
- Plain frozen vegetables, lightly steamed
- Greens such as kale, spinach, and arugula. Iceberg lettuce is not as great because it’s low in nutrients.
- Low sodium or unsalted canned vegetables
Go for a variety of colors: dark greens, red or orange (think of carrots or red peppers), whites (onions) and even purple (eggplants). The 2015 U.S. guidelines recommend 2.5 cups of veggies per day.
Worst Choices
- Canned vegetables with lots of added sodium
- Veggies cooked with lots of added butter, cheese, or sauce
- Pickles, if you need to limit sodium. Otherwise, pickles are OK.
- Sauerkraut, for the same reason as pickles. Limit them if you have high blood pressure.
Fruits
They give you carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Most are naturally low in fat and sodium. But they tend to have more carbs than vegetables do.
Best Choices
- Fresh fruit
- Plain frozen fruit or fruit canned without added sugar
- Sugar-free or low-sugar jam or preserves
- No-sugar-added applesauce
Worst Choices
- Canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup
- Chewy fruit rolls
- Regular jam, jelly, and preserves (unless you have a very small portion)
- Sweetened applesauce
- Fruit punch, fruit drinks, fruit juice drinks
Protein
You have lots of choices, including beef, chicken, fish, pork, turkey, seafood, beans, cheese, eggs, nuts, and tofu.
Best Choices
The American Diabetes Association lists these as the top options:
- Plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts, seeds, or tofu
- Fish and seafood
- Chicken and other poultry (Choose the breast meat if possible.)
- Eggs and low-fat dairy
If you eat meat, keep it low in fat. Trim the skin off of poultry.
Try to include some plant-based protein from beans, nuts, or tofu, even if you’re not a vegetarian or vegan. You’ll get nutrients and fiber that aren’t in animal products.
Worst Choices
- Fried meats
- Higher-fat cuts of meat, such as ribs
- Pork bacon
- Regular cheeses
- Poultry with skin
- Deep-fried fish
- Deep-fried tofu
- Beans prepared with lard
Dairy
Keep it low in fat. If you want to splurge, keep your portion small.
Best Choices
- 1% or skim milk
- Low-fat yogurt
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Low-fat or nonfat sour cream
Worst Choices
- Whole milk
- Regular yogurt
- Regular cottage cheese
- Regular sour cream
- Regular ice cream
- Regular half-and-half
Fats, Oils, and Sweets
They’re tough to resist. But it’s easy to get too much and gain weight, which makes it harder to manage your diabetes.
Best Choices
- Natural sources of vegetable fats, such as nuts, seeds, or avocados (high in calories, so keep portions small)
- Foods that give you omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, or mackerel
- Plant-based oils, such as canola, grapeseed, or olive oils
Worst Choices
- Anything with trans fat in it. It’s bad for your heart. Check the ingredient list for anything that’s “partially hydrogenated,” even if the label says it has 0 grams of trans fat.
- Big portions of saturated fats, which mainly come from animal products but also are in coconut oil and palm oil. Ask your doctor what your limit should be, especially if you have heart disease as well as diabetes.
Drinks
When you down a favorite drink, you may get more calories, sugar, salt, or fat than you bargained for. Read the labels so you know what’s in a serving.
Best Choices
- Unflavored water or flavored sparkling water
- Unsweetened tea with or without a slice of lemon
- Light beer, small amounts of wine, or non-fruity mixed drinks
- Coffee, black or with added low-fat milk and sugar substitute
Worst Choices
- Regular sodas
- Regular beer, fruity mixed drinks, dessert wines
- Sweetened tea
- Coffee with sugar and cream
- Flavored coffees and chocolate drinks
- Energy drinks
The Best and Worst Foods to Eat in a Type 2 Diabetes Diet
Picking the right foods to eat when you have diabetes can help lower your blood sugar or keep it stable. Find out what to put on the menu when planning your diabetes diet.
Picking the right foods to eat when you have diabetes can help lower your blood sugar or keep it stable. Find out what to put on the menu when planning your diabetes diet.
Following a type 2 diabetes diet doesn’t mean you have to give up all the things you love — you can still enjoy a wide range of foods when managing this disease. Indeed, creating a diet for type 2 diabetes is a balancing act: It includes a variety of healthy carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The trick is ultimately choosing foods that are naturally rich in nutrients to help keep your blood sugar level in your target range and avoid big swings that can cause type 2 diabetes symptoms notes the Mayo Clinic — from the frequent urination and thirst of high blood sugar to the fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and mood changes of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), per the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Greens, Sweet Potato, And Fried Egg Bowl
Greens, Sweet Potato, and Fried Egg Bowl
Get your veggies in ahead of the holiday with this Greens, Sweet Potato, and Fried Egg Bowl!
contains Eggs
SERVES
1
CALORIES PER SERVING
533
PREP TIME
5 min
COOK TIME
55 min
TOTAL TIME
1 hr
Ingredients
2 cups lettuce of choice
Olive oil (1 tbsp, plus more for drizzling)
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 large egg
½ avocado
½ cup microgreens
Salt, to taste
Juice of ½ lemon
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lay the cubed sweet potato onto the pan and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes.
2
Next, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan on the stove over medium heat. Crack the egg into the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy.
3
Assemble the salad by adding lettuce, microgreens, roasted sweet potato, fried egg, and avocado to a bowl. Drizzle with oil, lemon juice, and salt.
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
calories
533
total fat
36
saturated fat
6
protein
13
carbohydrates
44
fiber
11.2
sugar
12.1
added sugar
0
sodium
646
TAGS:
Eggs, Diabetes-Friendly, Heart-Healthy, Mediterranean, Gluten-free, Vegetarian, High-Fiber, Anti-Inflammatory, Lunch
The Basics of the Type 2 Diabetes Diet: What Should You Eat?
To follow a healthy diet for diabetes, you must first understand how different foods affect your blood sugar. Carbohydrates, which are found to the largest degree in grains, bread, pasta, milk, sweets, fruit, and starchy vegetables, are broken down into glucose in the blood, which raises blood sugar, potentially leading to hyperglycemia according to the Mayo Clinic. Protein and fats have little, if any, impact blood sugar, notes a past review. However, both should be consumed in moderation — along with carbs — to keep calories down and weight in a healthy range.
To hit your blood sugar level target, eat a variety of foods but monitor portions for foods with a high carbohydrate content, says Alison Massey, RD, a certified diabetes educator in Frederick, Maryland. “[Foods high in carbohydrates] have the most impact on blood sugar level. This is why some people with diabetes count their carbohydrates at meals and snacks,” she says.
How Many Carbs Can You Eat if You Have Diabetes?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there’s no “one-size-fits-all” carb target for people managing diabetes. Ultimately, the amount depends on factors such as your age, weight, and activity level.
As a general rule, though, people with diabetes ought to get about one-half of their daily calories from carbs. To identify your daily carb need, multiply 50 percent by your daily calorie target. For example, if you eat 2,000 calories a day, aim to consume about 1,000 calories of carbs in food and drink. Because the CDC says 1 gram (g) of carbs provides 4 calories, you can divide the calories of carbs number by 4 to get your daily target for grams of carbs, which comes out to 250 g in this example. For a more personalized daily carb goal, it’s best to work with a certified diabetes care and education specialist or a registered dietitian to determine a goal that is best for you.
Is There an Ideal Type 2 Diabetes Diet?
The Best and Worst Type 2 Diabetes Choices by Food Group
As you pick the best foods for type 2 diabetes, here’s a helpful guideline from the NIDDK to keep in mind: Fill one-half your plate (use a 9-inch dish for reference) with nonstarchy vegetables. One-fourth of your plate should feature your protein (such as meat or a plant-based source), and the final fourth should include a grain or other starch, such as starchy vegetables, a piece of fruit, or a small glass of milk.
Because processed and sugary foods are unhealthy carbs, limit them in your diabetes diet, says Massey. That includes soda, candy, and other packaged or processed snacks, such as corn chips, potato chips, and the like. And while artificial sweeteners like those found in diet sodas won’t necessarily spike your blood sugar in the same way as white sugar, they could still have an effect on your blood sugar and even alter your body’s insulin response.
A previous study found that when 17 obese, non-insulin-resistant people ingested a beverage treated with the artificial sweetener sucralose (sold as Splenda) before taking a standardized dose of glucose, their blood sugar and insulin levels rose more than when they drank plain water. On the other hand, a meta-analysis published May 2018 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that artificial sweeteners didn’t increase blood sugar levels. More research is needed to determine how artificial sweeteners affect people with diabetes.
For now, here’s what you need to know about choosing the most diabetes-friendly foods from each food group.