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Carol Willett, R.D.
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Question
Diabetes diet: Should I avoid sweet fruits?
I have heard that you shouldn't eat sweet fruits such as chikoo or mangoes if you have diabetes. Is this true?
Answer
from Carol Willett, R.D.
It is a common myth that if you have diabetes you shouldn't eat certain foods because they are "too sweet." Some fruits do contain more sugar than others, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't eat them if you have diabetes. The total amount of carbohydrates affects blood sugar levels more than does the source of carbohydrates or whether the source is a starch or sugar.
One serving of fruit should contain 15 grams of carbohydrates. The size of the serving depends on the carbohydrate content of the fruit. The advantage of eating a low-carbohydrate fruit is that you can consume a larger portion. But whether you eat a low-carb or high-carb fruit, as long as the serving size contains 15 grams of carbohydrates, the effect on your blood sugar is the same.
The following fruit servings contain about 15 grams of carbohydrates:
- 1/2 medium banana
- 1/2 cup (83 grams) cubed mango
- 1 1/4 cup (190 grams) cubed watermelon
- 1 1/4 cup (180 grams) whole strawberries
- 1/3 cup (80 grams) sapodilla (chikoo)
- 3/4 cup (124 grams) cubed pineapple
Carbohydrate counting and diabetes: Looking beyond carbs
- Delahanty LM, et al. Nutritional considerations in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 17, 2009.
- Carbohydrate counting. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-nutrition-lifestyle/nutrition/meal-planning/carbohydrate-counting.jsp. Accessed June 17, 2009.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Accessed June 17, 2009.
- Franz MJ. Carbohydrate and diabetes: Is the source or the amount of more importance? Current Diabetes Reports. 2001;1:177.
