Low carb diets restrict carbohydrates from foods such as pasta, bread, and sugary treats. These types of diets are typically high in protein, fat, and healthy vegetables. They’re useful for losing weight, improving triglycerides and lipid levels, and controlling blood sugar and insulin levels.
If you’re on a low carb diet, you might be wondering if you can ever have fruit again. Most fruit is relatively high in carbs. For example, one banana has a whopping 17 grams of carbs. Luckily, you don’t have to forgo fruit the entire time you’re on a low carb diet. Instead, there are plenty of lower carb fruits you can enjoy.
How to Choose Low Carb Fruits
Fruit contains natural sugars that add to your daily carb count. However, it’s also chock-full of vitamins and minerals that are extremely helpful to your body. These vitamins and minerals make fruit one of the healthiest sources of carbs you can eat. Fruit is a much better form of carb than a chocolate brownie or a loaf of bread. It’s also high in fiber, which is a type of carbohydrate that passes through your body undigested. Fiber has some nutritional benefits all of its own, such as helping maintain bowel health, lowering cholesterol levels, and helping to control blood sugar levels.
These health benefits make it incredibly advantageous to include fruit as a part of a low carb diet. Just simply choose a fruit that includes less than 15 to 16 grams of carbs per serving. Keep your other meals lower in carbs throughout the day and you’ll still be well within your total carb limits. There are plenty of options within this range, from berries to citrus fruits to all types of melon.
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Top 10 Low Carb Fruits
If you’re looking for some low carb fruits you can enjoy on a low carb diet, you’ve come to the right place. Here are ten low carb fruits you can enjoy even when watching your carbs:
1. Watermelon
Watermelon helps you stay hydrated due to its high water content. It’s also low low in calories, with just 46 calories in a cup serving (diced). Plus, that same one cup serving also has just 11 grams of carbs.
2. Cantaloupe
Like watermelon, cantaloupe is mostly water. It contains plenty of beneficial vitamins, such as vitamins C and A, potassium, folic acid, calcium, and zinc. It clocks in at 13 grams of carbs per one-half cup serving (cubed).
3. Strawberries
Strawberries contain even more vitamin C than an orange. Vitamin C has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, heart disease, and risk for cancer. They contain 11 grams of carbs in one cup of whole berries.
4. Plums
Plums contain vitamins and minerals that help your body heal, build muscle, and form blood vessels. Not only are they incredibly tasty, but they’re also low in carbs with only eight grams of carbs in a medium plum.
5. Kiwi
Kiwis are a nutrient-dense food. In other words, they’re rich in in nutrients, including vitamins C and E, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants, and low in calories. One piece of kiwifruit contain 10 grams of carbs.
6. Peaches
High in vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium, peaches have been shown help improve heart health, digestion, your immune system, and eye health. Plus, they’re low in carbs with just one medium peach containing 11 grams of carbs.
7. Starfruit
Star fruit has a mild sweet and sour flavor that’s popular in a variety of dishes. It’s a good source of potassium, magnesium, calcium, folate, and more. One medium start fruit contains just six grams of carbs.
8. Honeydew
Honeydew melon is high in vitamins, fiber, and carotenoids and has ben shown to boost the immune system, promote heart health, and prevent cancer. It contains just 16 grams of carbs in one cup of honeydew balls.
9. Grapefruit
High in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, grapefruit may support heart health, aid in blood sugar management, promote better brain function, and so much more. One half of a grapefruit contains just 13 grams of carbs.
10. Cranberries
The high level of proanthocyanidins in cranberries helps fight off infections, prevent cancer, combat tooth decay, and nourish skin. They’re also extremely low in carbs with just 12 grams of carbohydrates per cup of raw cranberries (just make sure they aren’t sweetened).
These low carb fruits can be eaten even when you’re watching your carbs. They’re juicy, delicious, packed with vitamins and minerals, and low in sugar, so they can be quite beneficial to add to your diet.
Common Questions About Low Carb Fruits
Knowing is half the battle, and with a little knowledge about low carb fruits, a few questions may emerge. To help, please find some common questions and answers consumers have about low carb fruits.
What fruit is lowest in carbs?
Tomatoes are technically the fruit lowest in carbs, with just 3.9 grams of carbs per 100 grams. Of course, most people don’t consider tomatoes a fruit in the same way they do lemons, strawberries, and starfruit. Coming in second is watermelon, which is more than 90% water and has just 7.5 grams of carbs for every 100 grams.
What are the best low-carb fruits to eat?
The best low-carb fruits to eat are the fruits that have the least carbs, including:
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Strawberries
- Plums
- Kiwi
- Peaches
- Starfruit
- Honeydew
- Grapefruit
- Cranberries
These fruits are not only low in carbs but also high in vitamins and minerals, so they’re fueling your body with essential nutrients without significantly increasing your carb intake.
Which fruit has the least amount of sugar?
Tomato is the fruit with the least amount of sugar, with 2.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams and 3.9 grams of total carbs per 100 grams. As with carb content, watermelon comes in second, with just 6 grams of sugar and 7.5 grams of total carbs per serving.
What fruits are high in carbs?
Bananas and grapes have a higher carbohydrate content than most other fruits. Bananas have 20 net carbs per serving (100 grams), while grapes have 16 net carbs per 100-gram serving. Some other common fruits that are high in carbs include apples, oranges, mango, and pineapple.
