We’ve all been told our whole lives how important it is to eat our fruits and veggies. But if you’re living a low carbohydrate lifestyle, including Keto, it’s important not to eat fruits and vegetables that have a lot of sugar in them. Try to incorporate some or all of these 11 best fruits to eat on a low-carb diet.
While natural sugar is better for you than artificial sweeteners, it’s still sugar. All sugars, including fructose, which is the type of sugar in most fruits, will raise your blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar levels are high in your bloodstream, your pancreas may release too much insulin making your cells insulin resistant. When the cells can’t use the sugar (glucose) for energy, it gets stored as fat.
The fruits listed below are some of the best choices if you’re eating a low-carb/low sugar diet. Keep in mind that these fruits are recommended in their solid, not juiced form. When juicing fruits and vegetables, you’re extracting the juice from the fiber. When you do this the sugar is released more quickly into your blood, spiking your blood sugar levels. This will hinder the success of your low carbohydrate diet.
Avoid spikes in blood sugar levels, stay away from high sugar fruits, and stick to these low sugar fruits, which are the best fruits to eat on a low-carb diet.
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Avocados
Some people still mistake avocados for a vegetable. Avocados are one of the best fruits to eat on a low-carb diet, because they only have 1 g of sugar per cup, but they are also high in healthy fats.
One of the keys to a successful low-carb diet is eating enough fats so you stay satiated between meals.
Lemons and Limes
You shouldn’t eat these fruits by themselves like an orange. These highly acidic fruits are damaging to the enamel on your teeth and can bother your stomach. These are great to add to your water and as a recipe ingredient.
This is an exception to juicing fruits because of their low sugar content of 1-2 grams per fruit.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are another fruit that gets mistaken for a vegetable. The “rule of thumb” is if it has seeds, it’s a fruit. With 3 grams of sugar per tomato and it’s great taste. it’s one of the most versatile fruits.
We’re all familiar with tomatoes in salads, tacos, but if you’re not a fan of the taste, there are many easy ways to “hide” the taste in recipes as well.
Cranberries
Cranberries have 5 grams of sugar per cup and pack a punch when it comes to flavor.
Don’t mistake the cranberries in cans and bottles for the whole fruit. This is because when they’re in cans and bottles they usually have lots of sugar added to them.
When you can find them raw try adding them to smoothies, relish, and salad dressings.
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Raspberries
Raspberries are my personal favorite, especially with some dark chocolate, but that’s beside the point. The point is that they only have 5 g of sugar per cup.
Not only are raspberries delicious, but they also have a lot of health benefits, including high levels of potassium, omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential to heart function, lowering blood pressure, preventing stroke and heart disease. They also contain manganese, which is good for your bones, skin and regulating your blood pressure. [1]
Kiwi’s
Kiwi anyone? Kiwi’s have got to be the coolest looking fruit around. Cute but not the easiest fruit to peel unless you know the technique. My favorite is the spoon method, where you use a spoon to peel it from the inside out.
These small fruits carry a big punch when it comes to nutrition. They have only 6 grams of sugar per fruit, and they also have 64 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, 215 mg of potassium, 2 grams of fiber, and 23 grams of calcium.
Did I forget to mention that they’re delicious too?
Blackberries
Blackberries only have 7g of sugar per cup and are very high in antioxidants and fiber. They are delicious in smoothies, on top of yogurt, or just plain. It’s like a party in your mouth. Try mixing them with raspberries which are also high in antioxidants.
They’re also high in vitamin C, K, and Manganese and may boost brain health[2].
Strawberries
You may be surprised that these sweet delicious berries are low in sugar, but they only have approximately 6 g of sugar per cup. They’re also high in vitamin C, manganese, folate, and potassium.
Eating strawberries is good for your health! They are associated with a reduced risk of many chronic diseases such as cancer [3].
FUN FACT: Strawberries are the only fruit that has it’s seeds on the outside.
Plums
One medium plum has approximately 7 g of sugar per fruit. They’re not a significant source of vitamins and minerals, but they are delicious and low in sugar [4].
Plumbs have a glycemic index of 2, which means they won’t spike your blood sugar levels. This is very important when eating a low carbohydrate diet. When your blood sugar spikes, your body releases large amounts of insulin to get toxic sugar levels out of your blood and into cells for energy or fat storage.
Grapefruits
If you’re going to eat grapefruits as part of a low sugar diet, don’t add sugar to overcome the bitterness. That defeats the purpose of eating low-sugar fruits. Half a medium-sized grapefruit has approximately 9 g of sugar.
Grapefruits are high in nutrients such as vitamin C, and A. They’re also packed with antioxidants and fiber.
It’s been said that grapefruits help you burn body fat and speed your metabolism. While there’s no scientific proof that this is true, grapefruit has shown to be part of a healthy weight loss program. This is because of the nutrition content and fiber that help fill you up [5].
Be careful if you are on cholesterol or blood pressure drugs because they can interfere with their effectiveness.
Watermelons
Nothing like a cold watermelon on a hot summer’s day. They contain 10 g of sugar per cup, so they’re relatively low on the sugar scale. But they’re high on the glycemic index so take this into account when eating this delicious fruit.
Watermelon is a great source of Vitamin A, C, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin B-6, iron, and calcium. They also have 4% of your daily fiber requirement [6].
Instead of eating whole slices of watermelon, try putting some in a fruit salad with other low sugar fruits.
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Size and Form Matters
In the United States, we have a problem with portion control because we like to eat a lot, simple as that. So when you’re watching your sugar intake and reaping the amazing benefit s of fruit, make sure you’re eating small to moderate-sized fruits. The amounts of sugar noted above are based on these sizes.
It’s also much better to eat fruits than juice them. This is because when you juice the fruit, you’re leaving the fiber behind. You want to consume the fiber because it slows digestion and helps prevent blood sugar spikes. Large amounts of sugar are toxic in the blood. To remove sugar (glucose), your pancreas releases more insulin (fat storing hormone) to get it out of your blood and into your cells.
Choose fresh or frozen fruit when you can. Processed fruits like applesauce, canned fruit in syrup, and juice have more carbs and sugars that raise your blood sugar more quickly than fresh fruits [6].
If you choose to eat dried or processed fruit, make sure you check the label first. Many have added sugar, and containers may have many serving in them, which means serving sizes are very small.
Don’t let a low-carb diet keep you from eating fresh fruits that are high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and provide other health benefits. Try eating some of the best fruits listed above when eating a low carb diet
What’s your favorite low sugar fruit? Is it one of the 11 best fruits to eat on a low-carb diet listed above? Let us know below in the comments.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Before starting any diet, you should speak to your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. This post is for informational purposes only and is not to be considered medical advice. Nothing contained on this website is intended to establish a physician-patient relationship, replace the services of a trained physician or health care professional, or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Very well written and Informative. I wish I had known this information years ago.
Thank you!