But Fruit is Healthy…Isn’t it?
Do you wonder why you haven’t been losing the weight you want? And, why your health issues still haven’t improved to the next level? All the effort you are putting into eating healthy yet the desired results just aren’t being realized! Is there something that you are missing? If you are like many of us, you start your day out with a big, healthy smoothie. You so enjoy the flavor of the cold blend of fruits. It sure beats the breakfasts of old and with smoothies there are so many options. But, do you have any idea though how much sugar you have been consuming in that delicious, healthy smoothie? So, just how much sugar is too much? According to the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, too much sugar is defined as more than 10% of an individual’s total daily calorie intake. What does that mean exactly? For the average person consuming 2,000 calories per day, 10% of the total calories would mean 50 grams of sugar, or 12.5 teaspoons. Naturally occurring sugar is definitely preferable to the added kind. Still, you should have a general idea of how much you’re taking in each time you consume a smoothie or a fruit salad. Here are five fruits with high sugar counts—and five more with low ones.5 Fruits High in Sugar
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Grapes
Both red and green grapes contain 15 grams of sugar per cup. The red kind are also rich in antioxidants, though, and both pack a fiber punch. -
Lychees
With 29 grams of sugar per cup, this exotic fruit packs a serious sugar punch. Here's why it's OK to consume in moderation, though: It also gives you 136 milligrams of calcium, superseding your daily recommended intake of 75 milligrams. -
Mangos
They’re a quintessential summer fruit, and each cup contains about 23 grams of sugar. By providing over a third of your daily vitamin A quota, though, that serving also helps to keep your eyes healthy. -
Banana
Nearly 16 grams in one. Although they are full of fiber and potassium, how many do you pop in to your morning smoothie? -
Cherries
With pits, one cup of sweet cherries has 18 grams of sugar. No wonder it’s so easy to pop them like candy! Fortunately, they may also help you sleep at night.
5 Fruits Low in Sugar
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Avocado
We know it's not the first fruit that comes to mind, but an entire raw avocado only has about one gram of sugar. Plus, it has tons of healthy fats that will keep you satisfied. -
Cranberries
This Thanksgiving treat should be a year-round staple. One cup of fresh cranberries only has about four grams of sugar. -
Raspberries
A tried-and-true smoothie ingredient, these add only five grams of sugar per cup. Bonus: they’ve got more fiber than other berries so they’ll help you fill up. -
Blackberries
With seven grams of sugar per cup, there's no need to worry about crashing after you load up on these. -
Strawberries
One cup of fresh strawberries serves up seven grams of sugar, along with 85 milligrams of vitamin C—just over the daily recommended intake of 75 milligrams.
Consider the ingredients in your smoothie:
- Bananas
- Berries
- Mangos
- Pineapples
- (Lots of different fruits)
Some ideas we have incorporated are:
- Replace the banana with the avocado. (We freeze the ripe ones then place a whole one in the blender. This saves us a lot of sugar!)
- Add a healthy serving of greens. The greens are superfoods that will help to provide long-lasting energy, are low in sugar and help slow down the assimilation of the fruit.
- Add Ceylon cinnamon to each smoothie to help you better assimilate the sugar
- Add home made almond milk instead of water to add flavor, but not sugar
- Add Nutritional Essentials for the sweet vanilla taste without added sugar
- Add a tablespoon of raw almond butter to your smoothie to replace the mango
- Add some carob nibs for flavor
