Summer is approaching, and with it comes the delightful abundance of in-season fruits. Even if you typically skip fruit during colder months, the summer’s bounty can make it hard to resist enjoying nature’s candy. However, for individuals managing diabetes, it’s important to be mindful of fruit consumption. Fruit contains carbohydrates and natural sugars like fructose, which can raise blood glucose levels. But before you worry about cutting out this healthy food group, let’s explore How Much Is A Serving Of Fruit and how you can enjoy it as part of a balanced meal plan.
Fruit as Part of a Healthy Diet
Fruits are nutritional powerhouses, packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are naturally low in fat, calories, and sodium, making them a great addition to a healthy diet for most people, including those with diabetes. When fruits are in season and fresh, they offer the highest concentration of nutrients. Frozen, canned, and dried fruits can also be nutritious options, but it’s crucial to check labels as their nutrient content can differ from fresh fruit.
When choosing frozen fruit, opt for unsweetened varieties. For canned fruit, select options that are unsweetened or packed in their own juice, avoiding those canned in light or heavy syrups. If you prefer dried fruit, look for varieties without added sugars. Eating a diverse range of fruits is beneficial, so try to include fruits of different colors in your diet. The fiber content in fruit varies, so incorporating high-fiber fruits like berries, apples, oranges, pears, and peaches is a good strategy. Blueberries are particularly noteworthy as they are rich in antioxidants.
What Counts as a Serving of Fruit?
For people with diabetes, fruit can and should be a regular part of their diet. A general recommendation is to aim for around 2 servings of whole fruit per day. Your individual meal plan might suggest more or less, but two servings serve as a solid starting point if you’re uncertain. A standard serving of fruit for people with diabetes, often referred to as “1 fruit choice,” contains approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates. Understanding this 15-gram carb serving is key to managing your blood glucose levels while enjoying fruit.
Paying Attention to Portion Sizes
Fresh fruit typically doesn’t come with nutrition labels, making it essential to know standard serving sizes to manage your carbohydrate intake accurately. Generally, a single serving of fruit is equivalent to one small piece of fresh fruit, ½ cup of canned or frozen fruit, 4 ounces of fruit juice, or 2 tablespoons of dried fruit. Individuals with diabetes may find it helpful to measure or weigh their fruit portions to maintain better glucose control. Using measuring cups and a food scale can provide greater precision in determining serving sizes.
Serving Sizes of Common Fruits (15 grams of carb per serving)
| Fruit | Serving that equals 15 grams of carb |
|---|---|
| Apple | 1 small apple (4 oz.) |
| Banana | 1 extra small (4 oz.) |
| Blackberries | 1 cup |
| Blueberries | ¾ cup |
| Cherries | 12 sweet fresh cherries (3½ oz.) |
| Dates | 3 small (deglet noor) or 1 large (medjool) date |
| Grapefruit | ½ large grapefruit (5½ oz.) |
| Grapes | 17 small grapes (3 oz.) |
| Honeydew melon | 1 cup diced |
| Mango | ½ small mango (5½ oz.) |
| Orange | 1 medium orange (6½ oz.) |
| Papaya | ½ papaya (8 oz.) or 1 cup cubed |
| Peach | 1 medium peach (6 oz.) |
| Pear | ½ large pear (4 oz.) |
| Pineapple | ¾ cup |
| Plantain, ripe, raw | ¼ plantain (2¼ oz.) |
| Plum | 2 small plums (5 oz.) |
| Pomegranate seeds | ½ cup |
| Raspberries | 1 cup |
| Strawberries | 1¼ cups whole berries |
| Watermelon | 1¼ cup diced |
Note: The weight of the fruit includes the skin, core, and seeds.
Pairing Fruit for Balanced Blood Sugar
To further manage blood glucose levels, consider pairing your fruit serving with a small amount of protein or healthy fat. Protein and fat slow down digestion and help stabilize blood sugar, preventing rapid spikes. When enjoying fruit as a snack, think about incorporating foods like nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, or nut butters (such as peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or soy nut butter). These combinations can enhance satiety and help control the rise in blood glucose after consuming the carbohydrates in fruit.
Conclusion
Fruit is a nutritious and enjoyable food that people with diabetes can include in their daily diet. By understanding how much is a serving of fruit and practicing portion control, you can confidently enjoy the natural sweetness and health benefits of fruit. Embrace the variety of fresh fruits available, especially during summer, and savor them as part of a well-rounded, healthy eating plan.
Source: Choose Your Foods: Food List for Diabetes. 2014. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics/American Diabetes Association.by Christine McKinney, RD LDN CDE
