21 GOOD FRUITS FOR DIABETICS (NATURAL) - NUTRITION - 2025

The list of fruits for diabetics that I will give you below will allow you to have a healthy diet, with which you can control this metabolic disorder and lead a good quality of life.

When talking about diabetes, they usually advise you to watch your glucose levels because your pancreas may no longer produce insulin, in type 1 diabetes, or it can produce it but not in the amounts that your body requires, in type 2 diabetes.

If you live with diabetes, they may have suggested you eat a diet in which you control the amount of carbohydrates you consume to avoid having glucose levels above normal. This control is very important as it totally prevents damage to your cells caused by high glucose.

It is beneficial for anyone, living with diabetes or not, to take care of the amount of carbohydrates they eat because the level of quality of life and health that you have right now and in the future will depend on this. You may also have noticed that you feel tired, sleepy or even hyperactive after consuming large amounts of sugar.

Learning to choose the amounts of carbohydrates that best suit you according to your physical activity, weight, complexion, age, sex, health status and taste preferences is the best way to prevent other complications if you live with diabetes.

Like any process at the beginning it will require you to learn new things and experience them for yourself. After this you will enjoy good health and you will spontaneously and naturally choose what best suits your body.

How do we know which fruits have the least sugar?

There are two measures by which the amount of sugars in fruits is measured, and in any food that is converted into glucose in the blood.

You are interested in choosing fruits that nourish you but that turn into glucose in your veins as slowly and balanced as possible.

Glycemic index and glycemic load

The glycemic index and the glycemic load are the two measures with which we know how much glucose in your blood you will have after having eaten a serving of fruit.

What is the difference between the two measurements?

The glycemic index measures how much glucose is in your blood after you have eaten 50g of a food rich in carbohydrates, in this case a fruit.

Compare foods on a scale from 1 to 100. The value of 100 corresponds to the case in which you take a glass of 50 g of pure glucose.

The classification is like this:

According to these values, it is recommended that you choose fruits with a medium and low glycemic index for your diet. Fruits with a high glycemic index are going to produce more glucose in your blood and faster. This can be difficult to control at normal levels if you live with diabetes.

The glycemic load is a measure that compares how much a food raises blood glucose and also considers the amount of that food. This is not considered the glycemic index.

Glycemic load classifies foods, including fruits, as follows:

In this case, it is better to eat fruits of medium and low glycemic load.

Why don't the rankings for glycemic index and glycemic load match?

Because by not considering the portion, the glycemic index considers that large servings of some fruits will have a high glycemic index. However, these fruits when consumed in appropriate amounts can be beneficial for you.

This means that fruits with a high glycemic index can be consumed but in less quantity than those with a low glycemic index. This way you can help your body to properly regulate your blood glucose levels.

Which one can I trust the most?

Both measures are reliable, however, the glycemic load when considering the amount of food gives you a clearer idea of ​​how much fruit is appropriate to consume.

The best fruits for people with diabetes and how to consume them

Here we mention the best fruits to choose for their amount of nutrients and their glycemic index and load. These values ​​refer to raw fruits and when you eat them raw.

GI refers to the Glycemic Index, CG refers to the glycemic load, and TP refers to the amount of food that has that glycemic load.

The glycemic index of some fruits is not reported in the official references, so it appears in the table below as not determined (na), however you can be guided by the glycemic load.

Fruits that are known as vegetables

The following are tree fruits that, because they have a salty taste and have a much lower amount of sugars, are nutritionally considered vegetables.

As they are considered vegetables, their glycemic index is much lower, as is their glycemic load. Values ​​shown refer to raw and unprocessed vegetables.

Both the tomato, the pumpkin, the pepper and the zucchini can be consumed in greater quantities than the aforementioned fruits due to their low sugar content and high fiber content.

The last one on the list is avocado, which has many benefits in its consumption but should be consumed in moderation due to its high fat content.

Ideas on how to consume them

Most of the fruits mentioned in the above list can be consumed in amounts approximately one cup without causing a drastic increase in your glucose levels.

So you can combine them and create delicious nutritious and healthy salads of different flavors, they can be acidic, sweet, salty, even bitter or you can make combinations of these flavors.

I personally love to combine sweet and savory flavors or make sweet and sour combinations and add a final touch to the dish with lemon to enhance the flavors.

A breakfast that I love for its rich flavor and freshness is papaya combined with chicken breast or diced tuna. The good thing about including fruits in the dishes is that in the end they have a very attractive appearance due to the variety of color.

They are pleasant to look at, to taste and beneficial to your body due to the amount of different nutrients that you are giving it.

Why eat fruits?

We know that fruits are nutritious because they contain fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, but you may be wondering if it is a good idea to include them in the diet, since in recent years they have been said to be high in sugar.

The answer is in the quantity and quality of sugars that you consume and fruit is definitely a good source in quality and quantity of several nutrients in addition to carbohydrates.

Fruit does not contain excessive amounts of sugars if you learn to consume it in adequate amounts. It will also provide you with several benefits that other foods cannot give you. They're easy to transport, come naturally packed, and most taste very nice.

The most important tip is to choose the fruits that have the most nutrients but that at the same time do not contain so many simple sugars.

The more simple sugars and less fiber in a food, the faster they will reach your blood and the likelihood that your body can regulate glucose levels decreases.

What is the best way to consume them?

The best way to consume fruit will always be fresh. It is best to avoid canned, dehydrated and juiced fruits if you want to control your glucose levels.

Combine your fruits with proteins and good fats

You can also combine your fruits with some protein like fish or meat and healthy fats like olive oil or almonds to further encourage the time your blood glucose rises.

Follow a meal schedule

Another recommendation is that you do not skip your meals to avoid lowering your glucose a lot so that you can eat healthy throughout the day.

If you miss a meal, feeling physically unwell, you can choose to have a soda or juice, which has less nutrients and fiber than a natural fruit.

That is why by following a schedule in your eating you can prevent feeling dizzy, exhausted, agitated or even anxious because you have not eaten before.

Fresh fruit

If you live with diabetes or if you want to eat a more balanced diet, the best way to nourish yourself through fruit is to eat it fresh and unprocessed.

You can do this through chopped fruit salads that can be served as an aperitif at breakfast or lunch or as desserts at the end of the day.

They can also be used as snacks between meals that in addition to helping you control your energy and glucose levels can refresh you on very hot days.

Fruit juices

Fruit juices, although they have several beneficial properties, have higher amounts of fructose and glucose than those of whole fruits.

This is because in the juice it does not normally have the fiber of the complete fruit, in addition to obtaining a glass of juice you will require more than one piece of fruit, so you would end up consuming double or triple the sugars.

Dehydrated fruits

Normally the fruits that you can find dried underwent a process in which they removed the water, this makes their sugar content concentrate.

In addition, in some dehydration processes they protect the fruits before drying them by adding sugar syrups, this improves their appearance and taste at the end of dehydration.

At the same time, these syrups, even if they only serve as protection and are outside the fruit, considerably increase their sugar content.

For these reasons, it is better that you consume dried fruit very infrequently. It is always better to prefer whole and fresh fruit.

Main benefits of fruits in diabetes

Weight control

In a clinical study carried out in England in 2008, it was observed that the people who consume the most fruits have lower body mass, smaller waist circumference and consume fewer calories and fat.

The way in which a consumption of fruits and a high concentration of vitamin C can do all this is due to the fact that fruits, as they have fiber and water, produce greater satiety and give you more nutrients compared to other foods that have more energy in less quantity.

This makes that when you eat fruit in small quantity and calories you feel satisfied and have more nutrients that you would not have eating other processed products.

Antioxidants

In a study published in the Journal of Invetigative Medicine in 2004, North Carolina scientists observed that taking antioxidants if you have diabetes helps prevent oxidative damage to your cells and therefore helps level your glucose levels.

Diabetes is characterized by being a state in which your cells are in oxidative damage. Antioxidants from fruits help your body fight this oxidative stress.

In other studies by this same group of scientists it has been concluded that although there is no exact indication of how many antioxidants a person with diabetes should consume if there is a benefit to consuming them.

They have also concluded that it is better to consume a combination of antioxidants from vitamins than to consume a single vitamin.

That is why if you consume fruits you get a mixture of vitamins and minerals that protect you from oxidative damage without the risk of overdosing on any vitamin.

Vitamin C

According to a 2008 study from England, one of the main components of fruits is vitamin C.

Vitamin C prevents oxidative damage in your cells and has been associated with the prevention of diabetes, prevention of weight gain, and prevention of fat gain in the abdomen, regardless of your weight.

It is important that you consume fruits, because according to various studies, 90% of the vitamin C that you can obtain is through fruits and vegetables. Other foods do not contain such high levels of this vitamin.

Fiber

Fruits contain fiber, which controls the rate at which your body absorbs glucose, helping you control your blood glucose levels.

In addition, soluble fiber has many benefits, for example: it reduces your cholesterol levels, decreases the speed with which your body absorbs carbohydrates and increases your satiety.

There are some studies that show how fiber can help lower your body weight.

Vitamins and minerals

Fruits have high levels of vitamins, especially vitamin C. This vitamin helps generate collagen in your skin and joints, helps you heal wounds and serves as an antioxidant defense, among other functions.

Some studies show that high levels of vitamin C can help control diabetes.

Fruits also provide you with potassium and folate. Potassium is important for making protein, using carbohydrates correctly, building your muscles, or controlling the activity of your heart. Folate is necessary to produce new cells and prevents anemia.