It is not wise to discard fruit from the diet of a diabetic patient. It has got various good things such as fiber, Vitamins, carbs, and minerals along with its natural sweet taste. Fruits is a good inclusion in a balanced diet of diabetes, but there are a few things you need to consider.
Being mindful of its sugar content and serving portions will help you get the best benefits of it without aggravating your diabetes. In this article, we will give you a detailed overview of safety of fruits for a diabetic.
Is fruits safe for a diabetic?
Fruits are an excellent means to obtain nutrition while satiating your cravings for sweet food. However, people who suffer from Type 2 diabetes, should look at the carbohydrate content of every fruit before adding into the meal.
This is an important consideration because carbohydrates get converted into sugar that impacts the overall levels of blood sugar in the body. As fruit are loaded in carbs, glucose, fructose, and simple sugars, it can result in spike in sugar levels in blood.
What are the most appropriate choices in fruit?
Selection of the right fruits holds a lot of importance in diabetics. You can’t eat all types of fruits. Only the ones that are moderately sweet with moderate level of carbs are recommend. Choose fresh fruits, dry fruits, frozen fruits or canned fruits that do not have any added sugars.
To learn about “added sugar”, you should check the labels. Do not go for packed fruits juices, and processed fruit products that have added sugar in the form of cane sugar, corn sweetener, invert sugar, corn syrup with high fructose content, and dextran.
What fruits do doctor recommend on a diabetic diet
For people who are suffering from diabetes, can eat following fruits in the right portion.
Try to eat whole fruits in place of fruit juices as they have more fiber content in it. Fiber delays digestion of fruit and keeps your stomach full for a longer time. Eating whole fruit prevents any spike in blood sugar levels and reduces the chances of development of Type 2 diabetes.
What is the recommended size of fruits in diabetic meal plan?
The amount of fruit that you can eat depends on two major factors, carb content of the fruit and the serving size. A single serving of fruit contains fifteen grams of carbohydrate in it. Following serving sizes will restrict your carb content to 15 grams and prevent exceeding this limit.
- 1 small fresh fruit
- ½ cup of frozen or canned fruit (with no added sugar)
- 2 tsp of raisins or dried cherries
- ½ medium sized apple
- 1 small sized banana
- 1 cup cubed honeydew melon or cantaloupe
- 1 cup blackberries
- ¾ cup blueberries
- Seventeen small grapes
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1¼ cup strawberries
- 1/3rd to 1/2 cup fruit juice that has no added sugars in it
Suggested Foods For a Diabetic
As opposed to the common belief that fruits can increase blood sugar in a diabetic patient, moderate intake of this high fiber snack helps in keeping diabetes in control.
So, the first super food in our list is Cantaloupe. It supplies a lot of vitamin C, and beta-carotene to your body to fulfill the daily nutritional needs. It also has large amounts of potassium that works as an antioxidant to reduce blood pressure in the body. 1/3 of a Cantaloupe is sufficient to obtain sixty calories, and fifteen grams of carbohydrates.
Sweet strawberry is another delicious fruit that contains a lot of potassium in it. It will help you bring down blood pressure levels in a person. It is loaded with fiber that makes you feel fuller for a long time while keeping blood sugar within limits. A single serving of strawberry gives 100% of the daily dietary needs of Vitamin C.
The polyphenols present in strawberries slows down the rate of metabolization of carbohydrates in the body. In this way, it needs less amount of insulin to regularize blood glucose levels. 1 cup of strawberries is sufficient to obtain sixty calories, and fifteen grams of carbohydrates.
Clementine is tiny tangerine hybrid that are rich in folate, and vitamin C. This fruit shows better control on blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes. Two pieces of Clementine is sufficient to obtain seventy calories, and fourteen grams of carbohydrates.
Fruit should be a part of the diabetes diet. You can count it as a necessary carb source in the meal plan. Keeping the amount within recommended serving would not just balance your carb intake, but also control blood sugar levels in a person.