Healthiest Fruits for People With Type 2 Diabetes

Fruits That Fit a Diabetes Diet

With some thoughtful planning, sweet, juicy fruit can be a regular part of your type 2 diabetes diet — as long as you keep your intake of the natural sugars found in these fruits under control. Guidelines published in June 2014 in the journal The Lancet suggests that calories and carbohydrates from fruits should be less than 10 percent of total intake. In general, fruit is a nutritious alternative to sugar-laden desserts, according to the American Diabetes Association. The body digests the natural sugars in whole fruit more slowly than it does the processed sugars found in a slice of pie, for instance. Fruits also deliver fiber, antioxidants, and a range of nutrients, says Katie Gill, RD, a registered dietitian in the division of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolic diseases at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She recommends pairing a fruit serving with a small amount of protein or fat, such as a few nuts, to tamp down your blood sugar response. She also suggests testing your blood sugar. “Don’t take my word that a fruit is good for you — check your blood sugar before you eat and then two hours afterwards,” Gill says. That level of personal information will help you identify which fruits best fit into your type 2 diabetes diet. Here are nine of the best choices to get you started

 

2.Grapes

“Grapes have a beneficial effect on blood sugar control,” says Courtney Peterson, PhD, a nutrition researcher and assistant professor in the nutrition science department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They contain polyphenols, a type of phytonutrient that may have a positive effect on the systemic inflammation seen with diabetes, according to Dr. Peterson. Polyphenols may also play a role in blood sugar management, according to a research review published in the January 2016 issue of the journal Nutrients.

3. Apples

Apples, also rich in polyphenols, have a unique advantage of a pre-set serving size, Gill says. It’s easy to stop eating once you’ve finished — just choose a medium-sized variety. “I love that apples have fiber,” she says. Just be sure to eat the skin, where much of that fiber is found. Fiber is helpful because it fills you up and it can slow the absorption of sugar in the blood, according to the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.