Low Sugar Fruits: For Diabetes And Health - Healthline

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11 Best Low Sugar Fruits

Medically reviewed by Adrienne Seitz, MS, RD, LDN — Written by Jacquelyn Cafasso — Updated on January 16, 2024

Lemons and limes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Blackberries
Kiwis
Grapefruit
Avocado
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Oranges
Peaches
Takeaway

Lower-sugar fruits can include citrus fruits, some berries, and other options, including cantaloupe.

You may want to reduce sugar intake, but taming your sweet tooth can be incredibly difficult.

Maybe you’ve already cut out processed sugars but didn’t realize how much sugar fruit contains. Or maybe you live with diabetes and want to know which fruits will have the least impact on your blood sugar.

While fruit provides many important nutrients, some varieties are higher in sugar than others. Learn which fruits have the lowest sugar content to satisfy your sweet tooth without breaking the sugar bank.

1. Lemons and limes

High in vitamin C, lemons and their green counterparts are fairly sour fruits.

There are only about 1.13 grams (g) of sugar in a lime and 2.1 g in a lemon. This makes them the perfect flavorful, low sugar addition to a glass of water.

2. Raspberries

With only a little over 5 g — a bit more than a teaspoon — of sugar per cup and lots of fiber to help fill you up, raspberries are one of several amazing berries to make the list.

3. Strawberries

Considering how sweet and delicious they are, strawberries are surprisingly low in sugar. A cup of raw strawberries has about 7 g of sugar and more than 100% of the recommended daily vitamin C intake.

4. Blackberries

Blackberries also have only 7 g of sugar per cup. And, as a bonus, these dark-colored berries are high in antioxidants and fiber.

5. Kiwis

These fuzzy green-fleshed fruits are technically considered a type of berry. Kiwis, or kiwifruits, are rich in vitamin C and low in sugar, with just 6.7 g of sugar per fruit. You can find kiwis all year round at the grocery store.

6. Grapefruit

Another citrus fruit to make the list is grapefruit. While grapefruits certainly don’t taste as sweet as grapes, they make a great addition to breakfast, with only 10.6 g of sugar in half a grapefruit.

7. Avocado

While they may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fruit, avocados are indeed fruits and naturally low in sugar. An entire raw avocado has only about 1 g of sugar. Avocados also have a lot of healthy fats, which will help keep you feeling full.

8. Watermelon

Watermelons are the iconic summer fruit. They may seem like a treat, but they’re low in sugar. A whole cup of diced watermelon has less than 10 g of sugar. A bonus of eating watermelon is it’s a great source of electrolytes, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

9. Cantaloupe

Cantaloupes owe their orange color to high vitamin A content.

A cup of this delicious melon contains less than 13 g of sugar. This may be a bit more than other fruits have, but it’s still much less than you’d find in a 12-ounce can of soda, which has nearly 40 g of sugar and very little nutritional value.

10. Oranges

Oranges are another great sweet snack you can enjoy without consuming many calories or much sugar. They’re also a good way to boost your vitamin C intake. A typical navel orange has nearly 14 grams of sugar and about 77 calories.

11. Peaches

Peaches can be incredibly sweet, but with less than 13 g of sugar in a medium peach, they can still be considered low in sugar.

Takeaway

These 11 low sugar fruits contain between 1 and 13 g of sugar. But remember that serving size makes all the difference.

A serving of watermelon is just 1 cup, and eating 3 or 4 cups of watermelon can mean consuming almost as much sugar as you’d get from a can of soda.

Of course, all types of fruit contain more vitamins, minerals, and fiber than sugary processed snacks. High fiber foods slow down digestion, which means your blood sugar won’t spike as quickly after you eat fruit. As with most things in life, moderation is key.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. (2019). FoodData Central.https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
Vitamin C. (2020).https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-c/

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Medically reviewed by Adrienne Seitz, MS, RD, LDN — Written by Jacquelyn Cafasso — Updated on January 16, 2024

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