It shouldn’t be news that eating fruit is good for your health. That said, if you’re concerned with your sugar intake—be it because of diabetes, a low-carb diet or another reason—not all fruits are created equal. For this reason, we spoke to two registered dietitians to get their top picks for low-sugar fruits that won’t spike your blood glucose levels, plus tips for managing your sugar intake.
The 15 Best Low-Sugar Fruits for Snacking, According to a Dietician
Strawberries and kiwis and peaches, oh my
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Published Jun 28, 2024
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Meet the Expert
- Alyssa Wilson is a registered dietician whose experience includes serving as a nutrition coach at a major gym, leading nutrition programs in corporate wellness and, currently, working as a metabolic health coach with Signos.
- Dr. Felicia Stoler, DCN, is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and exercise physiologist. She’s the author of Living Skinny in Fat Genes: The Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Feel Great and the former host of TLC’s Honey, We’re Killing the Kids.
What Fruits Are Low in Sugar?
The TLDR? Berries, apples, citrus fruit, avocado, stone fruit and melons are all fair game. That means apricots, oranges, pears and beyond are all on the menu.
In addition to sugar content, it’s important to take glycemic index—a tool used to manage blood sugar—into account, especially if you have diabetes or are an athlete. According to Harvard Health Publishing, "The glycemic index is a value assigned to foods based on how quickly and how high those foods cause increases in blood glucose levels. Foods low on the glycemic index (GI) scale tend to release glucose slowly and steadily. Foods high on the glycemic index release glucose rapidly." (Stoler adds that the comparative benchmark for glycemic index is a slice of white bread, which has a GI of 100.)
In addition, high GI foods (above 70) help boost energy after a workout, making them good for, say, long-distance runners or marathoners, while low GI foods (55 and under) can inspire weight loss. Also note that a food's glycemic index can change based on how it’s prepared, what it's served with, its ripeness and how it’s been processed.
Before you start snacking on nature’s candy, Wilson says there are a couple other things to keep in mind—namely that when it comes to blood sugar levels, it’s always best to opt for the whole fruit instead of drinking its juice, and that even low-sugar fruits can impact glucose levels when consumed as “naked carbs” (meaning all by their lonesome), which is why it’s wise to pair fruit with a protein or healthy fat whenever possible. Stoler stresses the importance of pairing fruit with fiber-rich foods as well; as your body digests soluble fiber, it lowers the GI of other foods.
15 Low-Sugar Fruits
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1. Strawberries
- Amount of Sugar: 7 grams per cup
- Glycemic Index: 41
- Try It: Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Strawberries
In addition to being an excellent low-sugar option, strawberries can raise good cholesterol and reduce blood pressure, and just one cup of the whole fruit provides your recommended daily dose of vitamin C.
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2. Raspberries
- Amount of Sugar: 5.4 grams per cup
- Glycemic Index: 32
- Try It: Raspberry-Coconut Smoothie Bowl with Collagen
Wilson tells us that berries are one of the best low-sugar fruits you can eat in general, but if we’re talking about specific types of berries, raspberries have the lowest sugar with about 5 grams per cup.
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3. Grapefruit
- Amount of Sugar: 10.6 grams per half fruit
- Glycemic Index: 26
- Try It: Broiled Citrus Ricotta Toast
Grapefruits are known for being tart, so it should come as no surprise that one half of this (quite large) fruit has only roughly 11 grams of sugar. Best of all, grapefruit can help keep insulin levels even, thus reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
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4. Kiwis
- Amount of Sugar: 6.7 grams per kiwi
- Glycemic Index: 50
- Try It: Green Smoothie Bowl with Kiwi and Coconut
Technically considered a berry, one kiwi—which is easy to find all year—has just about 7 grams of sugar. This fruit is also an excellent source of vitamin E, which helps protect the skin from sun damage.
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5. Avocado
- Amount of Sugar: 1 gram per avocado
- Glycemic Index: 40
- Try It: Ketogenic Baked Eggs and Zoodles with Avocado
Avocados are as close to sugar-free as a fruit can be (and yes, they are technically fruits). An entire avocado has only 1 gram of sugar, along with the added benefit of being packed with healthy fats. Guacamole, anyone?
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6. Peaches
- Amount of Sugar: 12.6 grams per fruit
- Glycemic Index: 28
- Try It: Tomato-Peach Caprese Skewers
While a perfectly ripe peach does indeed taste quite sweet, the average peach only contains about 13 grams of sugar. Peaches are also full of vitamins C, B2 and A, as well as iron and antioxidants.
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7. Plums
- Amount of Sugar: 6.6 grams per fruit
- Glycemic Index: 39
- Try It: Sheet Pan Buttermilk Chicken Thighs with Plums, Shallots and Honey
With only 30 calories and roughly 7 grams of sugar per fruit, plums are a great low-sugar fruit to add to salads and desserts for a bit of natural sweetness. Plums are also rich in fiber, which can help slow a blood sugar spike after you eat carbs.
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8. Cantaloupe
- Amount of Sugar: 12.6 grams per cup
- Glycemic Index: 65
- Try It: Melon Salad with Chili Powder, Mint, Lime and Flaky Sea Salt
Clocking in at just under 13 grams per cup, cantaloupe is relatively low in sugar and carbs, since it’s 90 percent water. Cantaloupe is also a great source of vitamin A. Just note that it has a higher glycemic index than many other fruits.
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9. Oranges
- Amount of Sugar: 13.8 grams per fruit
- Glycemic Index: 52
- Try It: Winter Citrus Salad
Known for being high in vitamin C, a navel orange has around 70 calories and less than 14 grams of sugar. Oranges help your body absorb iron, while also boosting your immune system.
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10. Pears
- Amount of Sugar: 8.6 grams per fruit
- Glycemic Index: 41
- Try It: Pear, Brie and Rosemary Flatbreads
Pears are a tasty fruit composed of mostly water and a modest amount of sugar. Asian pears are a particularly good type to nosh on, since they contain only about 9 grams of sugar and boast the satisfying crunch of an apple.
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11. Lemons and Limes
- Amount of Sugar: 2.1 grams per lemon, 1.1 grams per lime
- Glycemic Index: 20 for lemons and limes
- Try It: Braised Lemon Chicken, Lime & Pepper Tuna (or Salmon) on Toast
With only 1 to 2 grams of sugar each, lemons and limes are ideal for squeezing into a glass of water or over a wide range of foods. Plus, both these citrus fruits are loaded with vitamin C, which can reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease.
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12. Cucumbers
- Amount of Sugar: 5 grams per fruit
- Glycemic Index: 15
- Try It: Spicy, Crunchy Sesame Cucumber Salad
Here, another undercover fruit with an impressively small amount of sugar (a scant 5 grams per cuke). Cucumbers also contain magnesium, potassium and vitamin K, which all play an important role in the cardiovascular system.
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13. Blackberries
- Amount of Sugar: 4.88 grams per 100 grams
- Glycemic Index: 25
- Try It: Blackberry-Brie Upside-Down Pastries
Like all berries, blackberries are a stellar source of antioxidants. But they also have about half as much sugar as blueberries, so they're one of the better options if you're splitting hairs. They also contain 5.3 grams of fiber per serving, which will lower the GI of whatever you pair them with.
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14. Honeydew
- Amount of Sugar: 8.12 grams per 100 grams
- Glycemic Index: 62
- Try It: Honeydew, Feta, Jalapeño and Lime Salad
Honeydew, like cantaloupe, is another great choice if you're looking for low-sugar fruit options. It's loaded with potassium, vitamin C and iron. Buy one with a bright, creamy, waxy, yellow rind to ensure it's ripe.
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15. Papaya
- Amount of Sugar: 7.82 grams per 100 grams
- Glycemic Index: 60
- Try It: Papaya Salad
If you're a big fan of mango or pineapple but can't swing the sugar content, papaya may satisfy your tropical craving. Not only is it lower in sugar, but it's also packed with folate (about 14 percent of your daily recommended, to be exact).
How Much Sugar Should You Aim for in a Day?
The answer is a bit complicated, namely because the only hard and fast recommendations you’ll find relate to added sugars, which are far worse for your health than the nutritionally beneficial, natural sugars found in whole, raw fruits.
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, no more than 10 percent of your daily caloric intake should come from added sugars (so, 200 calories or 50 grams of sugar per day on a 2,000 calorie per day diet). The American Heart Association has more restrictive guidelines, recommending an upper limit of 100 calories or 24 grams of added sugar per day for most women.
As previously mentioned, the natural sugars found in fruit are a different story, and there are no upper limits on their consumption—namely because they’re often good sources of dietary fiber and nutrients and processed by the body very differently than added sugars.
The Bottom Line
The takeaway? Aim to eat natural sugars instead of added refined sugars whenever you can, and know that you needn’t worry about eating fruit because. Though it's technically possible to eat too much of a good thing, the experts at WebMD say you'd have to try really hard to achieve a problematic level of sugar consumption from fruit alone.
Of course if you have diabetes, remember that the most important thing is to monitor your blood glucose levels according to your doctor’s instructions, because they can be influenced by a variety of foods, including fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What high-sugar fruits should you avoid on a low-sugar diet?
Dried fruits (like dates, raisins, figs, prunes) are very high in sugar. High-GI fruits, like ripe banana, pineapple, watermelon and mango, are also higher in sugar. Grapes, cherries and pomegranates should also be avoided if you're dodging overly sweet fruits.
What types of diets are low-sugar fruits good for?
Low-carb diets and keto require keeping your carb intake low, which means reducing your sugar consumption. "Caveman" diets, like Paleo and primal, also call for reducing your sugar intake (and nixing processed foods, like refined sugar, altogether). That said, low-sugar fruits are good for you no matter what meal plan you follow, or if you follow one at all.
