‘Can diabetics eat fruit?‘ is a million dollar question very common among diabetics and their families.
Fruits are another great natural food that
diabetics must eat.
Fresh fruits contain lot of vitamins, minerals and nutrients along with fibre
and carbs.
Why do some diabetics fear to eat fruit?
There is a myth that fruits are foods diabetics should avoid. If you ask Can diabetics eat fruit?, some say Yes diabetics can eat fruit while others say No diabetics cannot eat fruit. There are many people on both sides of the argument.
The main reason for argument between both sides is the high sugar in fruits. We all agree sugar is harmful for everyone, not just the diabetics. For diabetics, sugar causes a more serious problem. Excess sugar in diet for diabetic patient causes spikes in blood sugar which is not good.
So, the reason why some diabetics fear to eat fruit is that most fruits are high in sugar. But many researches have proved fruits make a great diet for diabetic patient.
Can Diabetics eat Fruit?
Yes diabetics can eat fruits but in small portions only. The only issue with fruits seems to be their high sugar content. But as long as you are careful on the portion size, you must be OK.
Generally blood sugar levels rise quickly when you eat fruit but they do fall pretty quickly too. So every diabetic must eat fruits good for diabetes as part of diabetic diet.
Fruits have lot of nutrition along with some sugar and so they are great food for diabetics too. Fruits should be on every diabetes diet sheet. The fact that fruits are natural source of vitamins and antioxidants makes them very healthy diet for diabetics. Fruits good for diabetes must be part of diabetic meal plan and this answers the question ‘Can diabetics eat fruit’?
How can diabetics eat fruit when fruits are high in sugar?
Fruits are indeed high in sugar. But, fruits are also great source of fibre, minerals and vitamins. Diabetics must avoid added sugar in their diet but sugar in fruits is natural. Many experts are of the opinion that eating reasonable amount of fruit does more help than harm even for diabetics. So, fruits are indeed an essential part of diabetic diet.
If you ask doctors ‘can diabetics eat fruit?’, doctors say diabetics must eat a variety of fruits every day in small portions. Diabetics can derive great health benefits from the vitamins and minerals widely available in fresh fruits.
The sugar in fruits does not cause any harm when you eat a variety of fruits in small portions. So diabetics must eat fruits in small portions to get essential fibre, minerals and vitamins.
Fruit eating tips for diabetics
Whole fruits are great
An important fact to remember is that diabetics are much better off eating whole fruit direct rather than drinking fruit juice. Apparently fruit juices contain just sugars and very less fibre. This is because when we juice a fruit, we lose all essential fibre and only get lots of sugar in the drink. Eating whole fresh fruit is better than drinking fruit juices. Fruit juice is not good for diabetics as fruit juices are rich in sugar and they lose most of the fibre in the juicing process.
Factories add number of additives including sugar and sweeteners during the production of processed food such as jams and jellies etc. The added sugar and other food additives make them dangerous for diabetics. When diabetics drink fruit juice blood sugar levels may rise but when diabetics eat a whole fruit, blood sugar levels are fine. So diabetics should not drink too much fruit juice. Diabetics must eat whole fruit instead.
Spread the fruits
Another tip is that instead of eating all fruits in one go, diabetics must spread the fruits uniformly across the whole day. This will avoid sudden spikes in blood sugar levels and provide with regular supply of essential vitamins and minerals.
Fruit with no added sugar is very good for diabetics. It is better to eat fresh fruits as canned fruits contain added sugar.
Some sugar free jams or preserves are okay for diabetics. But jams or preserves with added sugar is not good for diabetics.
Some processed foods based on fruits may have additives. As food additives are not good for diabetics, these processed foods are not good. Examples of processed fruit products include canned fruit with heavy sugar syrup, jams and preserves with high levels of sugars added in and fruit juice drinks, fruit candies etc.
Diabetics may find it helpful to keep tracking their blood sugar levels from time to time. You may find this blood glucose meter handy to check blood sugar levels.
Can diabetics eat fruits with high sugar?
Certain fruits are very high in sugar. Examples include mango and pineapple. Due to the high sugar in them, diabetics must be careful while eating these.
Diabetics must eat such exotic fruits only in limited quantity and just when they are ripe. Eating over-ripened fruits is not good for diabetics as they contain even higher levels of sugar. It can be even more harmful for diabetics to drink juices from mango, pine apple or other tropical fruits.
Can diabetics eat fruits with low sugar?
Fruits like papaya, watermelon and pear etc. are very diabetic friendly fruits. This is because they contain high amount of fibre or water. Both fibre and water are very helpful for diabetic health.
The fibre in these fruits helps to cleanse the digestive system of waste. It also helps to clean the body of toxins so it makes you healthier. The water in the fruits keeps you hydrated and healthy.
These fruits also contain low levels of sugar and fat. Diabetics can benefit from the low levels of sugar and fat in these fruits. So these are the best fruits for diabetics.
Examples of fruits good for Diabetes
Fruits good for Diabetes are all fruits in general as long as you watch the portion sizes. All Fruits good for diabetes are full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Every diabetic diet plan contains fruits good for diabetes.
There are some fruits that are very high in sugar. Examples include Mango and Pineapple. So you must be wary of the portion size when you eat such high sugar fruits as part of diabetic diet. Eating small portions of Jackfruit helps diabetics improve health in long term.
However, some fruits are great for diabetics. Fruits good for diabetics include Papaya, blue berries, black berries, grapes, Tart Cherries, Peaches, Apricots, Apples, Oranges, Pears and Kiwi.
Please check out our article on the best fruits for diabetics.
Summary | Can Diabetics eat Fruit?
Though fruits contain more sugar or starch than vegetables but still make great food for diabetics because of the excellent nutrition they provide. Based on the above, we can say fruits are good for diabetics. So the answer to the question Can Diabetics eat Fruit is YES.
Which fruits can a diabetic eat?
Diabetics can eat all fruits as long as the portion of fruit in Diabetic Diet is small. Fresh fruit diet is great for diabetics. A great Diabetic Meal Plan with the Best Fruits for Diabetics can provide you with lots of nutrition and boost your immunity. Thus fruits good for diabetes can be easily incorporated in Diabetic Meal Plan.
All fruits good for diabetes must be eaten regularly. Most of the Best Fruits for Diabetics are very cheap and widely available.
It also important to note that whole fruits as they are available from nature are great sources of nutrition for all us.
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