Hunger pangs? These gems will fill you up while also cutting down on your glucose intake.
Skipping sugar may be the current craze, but if you’re thinking about eliminating fruit from your diet because they contain naturally occurring sugars, you may want to think twice.
“Fruit provides a lot of things we need,”, author of Read It Before You Eat It. “It provides vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It also hydrates us and provides us with fiber, which fills us up.”
Unfortunately, not enough people do not eat as much fruit as they should. Only one in 10 adults get enough servings of fruits and veggies to create a balanced diet, according to the CDC. A lack of these important foods can lead to chronic illness such as diabetes and heart disease.
However, if you are looking to cut back on carbs in a healthy way and you don’t want to overdo it with higher-sugar fruits like bananas, there are plenty of low-carb, nutrient dense options out there. Here are 10 fruits you can feel great about indulging in whenever your fruity sweet tooth strikes:
Strawberries
Berries are a great option when it comes to picking fruit that’s low in sugar. A cup of strawberries has only 7 grams of sugar and provides just about, if not more than, your daily recommendation of vitamin C.
Grapefruit
The best way to minimize your sugar intake is to be mindful of your portion sizes, Grapefruit is a great option as an alternative to sugary snacks, but you might not want to eat the whole thing depending on your needs. Half of one of the fruits contains 8 grams of sugar.
Avocados
Yes, avocados are indeed a fruit. That big pit at the center counts as a seed, which is one of the defining features of fruits. Avocados are full of healthy fats that protect your heart and lower your LDL (a.k.a. “bad”) cholesterol, plus phytochemicals that reduce oxidative and inflammatory stress. One avocado has a little over a gram of sugar.
Plums
These late-summer favorites only have 7 grams of sugar and are 30 calories a piece, What’s cool about plums is you can get creative with them and make things like sugar-free jams and marmalade.
Raspberries
These berries are surprisingly low in sugar given their sweet taste: One cup contains only 5 grams of sugar. And with 8 grams of fiber, they’re more likely to leave you feeling full than some other fruit.
Blackberries
This is another tasty berry. One cup packs 7 grams of sugar, 8 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein, making it the perfect nutrient-dense snack.
