Fruit guide for diabetics: the best list of serving sizes yet

Can diabetics eat fruit? This is something many people in our diabetes community ask. We reached out to dietician and diabetes educator Louise Ferreira for tips.

All about fruit

Fruit is a good source of many essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium, vitamin C and folic acid, as well as fibre. These nutrients are important for disease prevention, a healthy digestive system, and healthy skin and hair. If you have diabetes, you can and should eat fruit. See here how you can stop it from raising your blood sugar levels.

Can diabetics eat fruit?

Fruit can be enjoyed fresh, frozen, canned, dried and juiced. However, it is wise to eat fruit unprocessed and fresh. Here are the reasons:

Juice: When juice is squeezed from fruit, a lot of fiber and nutrients are lost, and the juice becomes a refined carbohydrate. Dried: Dried fruit makes portions seem smaller and increases the temptation to eat more than one or two servings. Canned: Canned fruit is often laced with added sugar, which should be avoided.

Portion control for fruit

In general, most people should aim for two to three servings of fruit per day. (However, remember that everyone is different, and if fruit tends to raise your blood sugar levels, you should listen to your body.) Each serving of fruit contains 15 g of carbohydrates – for those who count carbohydrates to calculate their insulin dose.

One serving of fruit is:

1 small to medium-sized fresh fruit; 125 ml (½ cup) canned fruit or fruit juice; or ¼ cup of dried fruit.

Each serving of fruit contains 15 g of carbohydrates – for those who count carbohydrates to calculate their insulin dose.

There you have it! Can diabetics eat fruit? Yes – provided they approach portions carefully and it doesn’t raise their blood sugar levels too much.

what do you think do you eat fruit

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