Eclectic Red Barn: Low Sugar Fruits for a low carb diet!

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Low Sugar Fruits for a low carb diet!

It’s finally spring — which means it’s time for some pretty delicious fruits to come into season!

Personally, I’m a big fruit lover. Berries, citrus fruits, melon… give me a big fruit salad for breakfast, and I’m happy all morning!

However, if you follow me, you know that recently I went on low carb diet. Fruits are not only high in sugar but in carbs as well. Sure, the vitamins in fruit are great for your health (and your skin!)...

But at the end of the day, sugar is sugar. And most fruits are loaded with it. That's why they are so sweet.

You see, excess sugar doesn’t just lead to weight gain and high blood glucose — it also causes glycation, an aging process that can make your skin look years older.

So how can you get all the health benefits of fruit — and that tangy fruity taste you’re craving this time of year — without eating loads of sugar?

I really wanted to be able to have fruit, so I checked out which ones would be the best on my low carb diet.

Yes — low-sugar fruits!

I was actually pretty surprised by some of these. Check out the sugar counts...(some of these are also the lowest in carbs)

Raspberries = 5g per cup
Blackberries = 7g per cup
Clementines = 7g per fruit
Strawberries = 8g per cup (sliced)
Grapefruit = 8g per half

Not bad, right? After all, the daily recommended amount of sugar for women is 25 grams — so these healthy treats leave you plenty of wiggle room.

I’ve actually seen foods advertised as ‘low carb’ that had a lot more sugar than these fruits!

I have been eating mainly raspberries, blackberries and strawberries with a little whipped cream as my dessert.

Use this “quick guide” next time you’re at the store, and pick yourself up a guilt-free treat.

(I’ll be picking up some raspberries later on today, actually. Only 5 grams of sugar and only 5 carbs? Can’t beat that!)