The Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Fruit

The Ultimate Guide To carbs in fruit is an easy to use photo grid. Take a look below for the full list of 28 fruits. And learn why bananas are the worst fuel to take to the gym.

All values are net g carbs per 100g

The Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Fruit

Have you always wondered why you should stay off the fruit when starting low carb? Why are berries recommended but not bananas? They’re healthy right? And read on to read why I have a pet hate relationship with dates and other dried fruit (bliss-ball lovers, look away). Do you actually know the numbers of carbs in fruit?

Take a look at the entire series of Ultimate Guides

• Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Food 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 lists
• Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Vegetables
• Ultimate Guide To Healthy Fats
• Ultimate Guide To Low Carb Sweeteners
• Ultimate Guide To Low Carb Flours
• Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Alcohol
• Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Beige Food
• Ultimate Guide To Coconut Flour vs Almond Flour
• Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Nuts And Seeds
• Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Sauces

Carbs In Fruit

Repeat after me  – if you are overweight, fruit is not your friend 

Fruit has been given the same nutritional status as vegetable ever since the 5-a-day guidance was introduced. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but fruit does not even come close to vegetables. Once you look at the carbs in fruit infographic, it will become clearer.

Fruit is high in fructose which can only be metabolised in the liver, where it is turned into fat. We all know the term “beer belly”, otherwise known as alcoholic fatty liver disease, where fat deposits itself around the abdomen (the most dangerous type of fat). But you can also develop NON alcoholic fatty liver disease – from too much fructose. That fructose may come from sugar (half fructose half sucrose) in a high sugar or high carb diet, or it may come from the fructose found in fruit.

Dr Robert Lustig states – you wouldn’t dream of giving your child beer or cola, but fruit juice is metabolised by the body in the same way.

Healthy Fruit – let’s bust those myths

Let’s clear up a few myths about how healthy fruit is.

Yes of course a piece of fruit is always a favourable choice over a candy bar, but it must be accounted for in your sugar allowance. I also don’t want you to be mis-led by modern marketing and advertising. Too many products say “refined sugar free”, “made with real fruit juice” to give them the healthy halo. I just want to make you aware, so then it is YOUR choice, and an informed one.

• Fruit and vegetables are equal – no, no no. Fruit should be an occasional treat, nature’s dessert, but do not count fruit, fruit juice, dried fruit or fruit pouches as equivalent to vegetables.
• Children can fill up on fruit – It is always easier as a parent to encourage your children to eat fruit, but do not think they are equal to vegetables. I allow my children to eat 1, sometimes 2 pieces of fruit a day because they are active, do not have weight to lose and are metabolically healthy. I also allow them to have the occasional tropical fruit such as pineapple and mango, but they know this is a real treat and will be their after-dinner treat, possibly once a fortnight in the summer months. Years ago, they may have eaten tinned fruit with breakfast, 2 pieces in their lunchbox, chopped apple for an afternoon snack, and maybe even another piece for an after dinner treat = 5 servings!!!! Yikes. And I didn’t even add a bag of raisins in that equation. So my children are allowed fruit, but they have learned to be mindful of how much, and how often.
• Dried fruit is refined sugar free – ahh, this old marketing trick. Yes it is refined sugar free but sugar is sugar, your body and insulin see it ALL as the same thing. Whether the sugar is from fruit, table sugar or organic, free range, natural, zero air miles, holistic, farmers market, bee friendly, coconut sugar – it is ALL sugar. And as for those recipes which use medjool dates (my pet hate) as a sweetener, run for the hills. Use medjool dates by all means, but make no mistake, it is not sugar free.
• Fruit is packed with nutrients – well, not so much. The small amount of micronutrients they contain, does not undo the damage the high sugar does. Yes they have vitamin C, but so do lower carb vegetables, which we eat in abundance without the fructose to accompany them.
• Fruit juice and smoothies are such a health boost – sorry, no. A smoothie or juice based on fruit can be higher than a can of fizzy drink, yes there will be some nutrients in there, but too many think this somehow balances out the high sugar in the smoothie. Remember, a glass of orange juice isn’t the same as the goodness from 6 oranges, it’s the same as the sugar from 6 oranges. If you would like to enjoy a juice or a smoothie, base them on leafy vegetables and healthy fat such as coconut milk/cream.
• Bliss balls are better than candy – welllllll, kind of. Bliss balls are made with dried fruit (which you remember is dried sugar) so yes it may have a few more nutrients than candy, but make no mistake, bliss balls are high in sugar and must be accounted for in your daily allowance.
• Bananas are a great fuel source – Many regard bananas as the perfect fuel for the gym, and to grab some extra potassium. Let’s take a closer look.

A small banana (and most are huge these days) has 24g carbs (21.4g net), 1.2g or protein, 9mg vitamin c and 379mg of potassium.

A cup of chopped broccoli will give you 6g carbs (3.6g net), 2.6g protein, 81mg vitamin C, and 287mg of potassium.

A medium tomato is worth 4.8g carbs (3.3g net), 1.1g protein, 16.8mg vitamin C and 291mg potassium.

So ignore all the marketing hype about fruit and veg. Fruit is great for the fibre and micronutrients they provide, but do not confuse them with vegetables, or hold them in the same high regard. Fruit is an occasional food.

Fruit was once a seasonal food, enjoyed in limited quantities. It is now imported from far and wide and available year round. Even the varieties available in the supermarket are sweeter than the old heirloom varieties.

Enjoy fruit, but try to choose low sugar, nutrient dense fruit such as berries.

Which fruit do you enjoy and how often? Take a look to see how many carbs in fruit, to help you make an informed choice and work them into your plan.

If you loved this, take a look at my Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Vegetables, Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Nuts and the Ultimate Guide To Carbs In Alcohol.

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