Fruit is your friend, but don’t get too friendly
I grew up on a tropical island for most of my youth. During that time, we only ate seasonal foods. Farm to table was all we knew. We went to the grocery store for sugar, flour, oil, etc. Back then people snacked on whatever fruits were in season. Like most kids, mango season (April to July) was my favorite. There is nothing like a tree-ripen mango or coconut water from freshly picked coconuts. One thing I miss about the tropics is the smell of fresh fruits. Mangoes, bananas, passion fruit, you name it, they all had a distinct smell that permeated the house. As an adult living in the northeastern part of the U.S., I miss fragrant fruits. I miss the sweetness that only nature can provide.
Prior to industrialization (1865 -1920 following the American Civil War), Americans primarily ate fruits in season, which means most fruits were eaten in the summer months. Today, we get an abundance of local fruits in the summer and imported fruits during the winter months. Either way, fruits are available year round. Is that a good or bad thing? Nutritionists agree that fruits are good for the body. They provide vitamins and minerals, and most importantly, fiber. Dietary fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legume (beans and peas). Therefore, eating whole fruit is better than drinking fruit juice, since fruit juice gives you the sugar without the fiber. Fiber also helps fight obesity by making you feel full faster and longer and reducing the amount of insulin needed to digest the food. Lastly, fiber helps you feel full (satiated) faster. So from this standpoint, fruit is good. Fruit is your friend. However, don’t get too friendly with fruit. Be mindful, fruits have sugar called fructose, which is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. For this reason, fruit intake should be limited to no more than 2 cups a day. Keep in mind, the sweeter the fruit, the higher the sugar content. For example, bananas and mangos have a higher sugar content than raspberries and strawberries. The higher the sugar content, the higher the carbs. As such, fruits with a high sugar content have a higher glycemic index. Glycemic index is a measure of the rate at which different carbs break down to release sugar into the bloodstream. In other words, glycemic index tells how rapidly the blood sugar rises after consuming a food that contains carbohydrates. See Appendix A for a list of high and low-sugar content fruits.
Suggestions for eating fruits:
Eat locally grown, seasonal fruits, when you can. Seasonal, local fruits taste better, are more fresh and cost less than fruits that have traveled great distances to get to the supermarket. Scout out local pick-your-own farms and make a day of it.
Limit your intake of high-sugar fruits to one a day or 1 cup a day.
Eating fruits before your meal could help you eat less, as the fiber in the fruit tends to make you feel full.
If you are diabetic, you should consider eating fruits with a meal or snack. The reason being, the sugar in the fruit is quickly absorbed into your bloodstream, increasing your glucose (blood sugar) level. By pairing fruits with a meal consisting of protein (meat or beans) and fiber (vegetables), your body absorbs smaller amounts of sugar at a time, leading to a small rise in glucose levels.
High Sugar Fruits:
Mango - one mango has 45 grams of sugar. Eat half one day, half the other.
Grapes - 23 grams of sugar. Slice them in half and freeze them, which will get you to eat less.
Cherries - 1 cup has 18 grams of sugar
Pear - a medium pear has 17 grams of sugar
Watermelon - a medium wedge has 17 grams of sugar. However, watermelon has electrolytes that help keep your body hydrated.
Figs - two medium figs have 17 grams of sugar. Use it in a sauce for chicken breast.
Banana - one medium has 14 grams of sugar.
Less Sugar:
Avocado - yes it’s a fruit. One avocado only has 1.33 grams of sugar
Guava - each one has about 5 grams of sugar and 3 grams of fiber. More than you would get from brown rice or whole wheat bread.
Raspberries - one cup has 8 grams of fiber and only 5 grams of sugar. Fiber is good for digestion and helps you feel fuller with fewer calories.
Cantaloupe - a single medium vedge has only 5 grams of sugar and only 23 calories.
Papayas - half of a small one has only 6 grams of sugar. Add a squeeze of lime or a sprinkle of salt
Strawberries - one whole cup has only 7 grams of sugar.
As with any food, eat fruits based on your body’s ability to metabolize its carbs.