The 17 Healthiest Low-Sugar Fruits

Want to stay healthy but still watch your waistline? These fruits are comparatively low in sugar while providing the vitamins and nutrition you need.

April 19, 2021

By: Felicia Feaster

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All Hail Whole Fruits!

Though we often think the best way to get vitamins and minerals is in pill form, in fact, nature is truly the best medicine. Case in point: fruit. An actual piece or cup of fruit is far better at providing the vitamins, fiber and antioxidants you need to stay healthy than those same things taken in supplement form. "The body is more likely to recognize recurring nutrients in whole foods compared to manufactured dietary supplements" says Roger Figueroa, assistant professor in social and behavioral science in nutrition at Cornell University's Division of Nutritional Sciences.

Tomatoes

“Most adults really are exceeding the recommended limits for added sugars," says Dr. Figueroa. But despite the current obsession with low- or no-sugar diets he reminds us that, "sugars are not evil." In fact, "when consumed in their most natural forms," he says, “fruit has many benefits both for promoting health but also for reducing the likelihood of certain diseases.”

And yes, Dr. Figueroa says, tomatoes are indeed a fruit, and one of his favorites for their nutritional value, along with mangoes, passionfruit and figs.

One cup of sliced tomatoes has about 4 grams of sugar and contains a host of beneficial nutrients including vitamin C, beta carotene, lycopene and potassium as well as the fiber necessary for digestive health.

Learn More: How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors

Strawberries

There are also benefits to whole fruits over fruit juice, says Figueroa. Compared to the fiber in whole fruit, "dietary fiber is lower in even 100% fruit juice," he says. So why is fiber so important?

"There is some evidence that dietary fiber can help reduce risk for chronic disease. So that is why you would want the fiber in the whole fruit you are consuming," Dr. Figueroa says. Eating whole fruits and vegetables has been associated by some studies with significantly reducing rates of cancer and heart disease, according to the International Journal of Epidemiology.

In addition, there are many helpful phytonutrients (healthy plant chemicals) combined in a piece of fruit, rather than simply vitamins C or E.

Loaded with vitamin C, strawberries are deceptively sweet-tasting for their 7 grams of sugar per cup.

Asian Pears

Often given as a gift in Asia, crispy Asian pears taste like a cross between an apple and a pear. They also contain lots of water, fiber and about 9 sugar grams and are an excellent source of vitamins K, C and copper, and other vitamins and minerals that can help in building collagen and bolstering your immune system.

From: Lynn Coulter

Avocados

A source of good, healthy mono-unsaturated fats that can play a part in lowering cholesterol, avocados (yes, they, like tomatoes, are also considered a fruit) have just 1 gram of sugar in the entire fruit. They also contain plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that have a multitude of benefits including potentially reducing inflammation. Try incorporating an avocado into a smoothie for a creamy boost of fiber and nutrients.

Learn More: 25 Ways to Use Avocados

Papayas

There are about 6 grams of sugar in half a papaya, which also has loads of beneficial vitamin C.

Kiwis

Another fruit that seems far too sweet to be relatively low in sugar, a single kiwi contains about 8-9 grams of sugar.

Guavas

While many tropical fruits like pineapple, bananas and mangoes tend to be high in sugar, guava is a nice exception. It has just 5 grams of sugar per piece of fruit and has the antioxidants, water and vitamin C that play a part in keeping your skin healthy. Guavas also contain manganese, a mineral essential for absorption of key nutrients and a healthy dose of fiber.

Blackberries

Full of nutrients, including protein, antioxidants and fiber, 1 cup of blackberries contains about 7 grams of sugar.

Learn More: 21+ Healthy Infused-Water Recipes and the Health Benefits of Drinking Water

From: Sam Henderson

Oranges

One orange, depending upon the size, can provide 12-17 grams of sugar. But it also contains more than your recommended daily amount of vitamin C. And like most fruits, you will get the optimum health benefits and far lower amounts of sugar if you opt for eating an orange rather than drinking a glass of orange juice.

From: Melissa Caughey

Plums

An entire sweet, juicy plum only has 7 grams of sugar.

From: Lynn Coulter

Blueberries

Along with lemons and limes, berries have some of the lowest amounts of sugar grams among fruits. At about 15 grams of sugar per cup, blueberries are considered to have a moderate amount of sugar, but their beneficial role as a superfood loaded with fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals tends to counterbalance concerns about natural sugar content.

Grapefruit

Half of a grapefruit contains about 8 grams of sugar. Just skip adding sugar and you will get all of the benefits of a fruit full of vitamin C, fiber and potassium.

Apples

A small to medium apple can have from 10-19 grams of sugar. But you know that saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? There could be a lot of truth in that. Apples eaten with the skin on (an important part of making sure you get the maximum health benefits of eating an apple) contains the essential phytochemicals and antioxidants that some have said can reduce cancer risk.

Peaches

A medium-sized peach contains about 13 grams of sugar. But that's not all. Peaches also provide small but important amounts of vitamins C, E and K along with zinc, manganese, copper, magnesium, potassium, iron and niacin, among others.

Raspberries

One cup of raspberries contains only about 5 grams of sugar. And because raspberries contain a lot of fiber, they tend to also make you feel full.

Cantaloupes

Chock-full of vitamin A, cantaloupe has about 5 sugar grams in one slice or about 13 grams in one cup.

Watermelon

Watermelon is mostly, well, water. And that makes it an excellent source of hydration. One cup of watermelon contains about 10 grams of sugar in 1 cup, but also has the antioxidant lycopene (also found in abundance in tomatoes and tomato products), a plant nutrient that some believe could help fight cancer and improve heart health.

Learn More: Health Benefits of Watermelon