According to the Mayo Clinic, having diabetes doesn't prevent you from eating fruits, even though you may be concerned about their high sugar content. Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell, an endocrinologist at the hospital explains that the total amount of carbohydrates you consume has more of an impact on your blood sugar levels than the sources of the carbohydrates.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) agrees. They recommend considering how much you eat at a meal, instead of focusing on whether a carbohydrate is a sugar or starch. They also finger other factors such as the way your food is prepared, and the combination of food you eat during a meal.
Still, some fruits have higher carbohydrate and sugar content than others. The best summer fruits for diabetics are on the low side of the scale. Choosing these helps you to reduce your overall carbohydrate intake - plus, you'll be able to eat more of them to satisfy your cravings, without making your diabetes worse.
The Diabetes Food Guide Pyramid recommends diabetics consume between two to four servings of fruit each day, depending on overall calorie intake. Examples of one serving of fruit are one small apple, a half cup of apple juice, or half a grapefruit. Two servings are one banana, a half cup of orange juice, or 1 ¼ cup of strawberries.
Fortunately, summer offers a bounty of low-carb summer fruits for diabetics. Many are also fruits with the highest antioxidant content - another bonus when fighting diabetes. To get your fruit fix choose from the following group - each recommendation is for a single serving and has roughly 15 grams of total carbohydrates.
- One cup gooseberries (they contain no sugar)
- ½ cup blackcurrants
- One cup red or white currants
- ¾ cup of berries -raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries
- ¾ cup cranberries
- ¾ cup cherries
- One small peach, nectarine, apple or apricot
- Half a pear
- One cup watermelon
- One cup sugar-free lemonade or limeade
To lower the impact fruit consumption has on your blood glucose levels, the ADA recommends eating them after a starchy meal and throughout the day, rather than having them in one sitting.
Caution on Summer Fruits for Diabetics
- Eat dried fruit in moderation; they have more concentrated sugar content.
- Choose canned fruit in their natural juice, not sugary syrups.
- Use frozen fruit in juices, shakes or baking as they also have higher sugar content.
- Also, you can make your own fruit juice at home, adding lots of water to reduce the sugar content even more. To make a tasty summer fruit shake, add soy yogurt, which studies suggest is beneficial in controlling diabetes.
