Fruit: Sugary and sweet the natural fresh food treat
Fresh fruit. Summer time marked by the strawberry stands being open, peaches are ready and fruit salad is on the spread at every event. All year round we have apples, bananas, and oranges. There are a number of reasons this refreshing snack is good for you. These colorful choices are full of vitamins and minerals. They can also help reduce the risk of many diseases and help lower blood pressure. This means that fruit helps with the maintenance of our bodies.
Sugar, sugar, sugar
But, they have sugar. Yes, natural sugar, but sugar is sugar in that body of yours. Fructose (another name for sugar) is harmful for your metabolism. When it comes to sugar in fruits it’s really about the amount you are consuming. For example, an apple has about 12 grams of sugar compared to 40 grams of sugar in one soda. So it would take 3 apples to have the same amount of sugar as one soda. The more informed you are the better, so let’s talk about fruits with the highest amounts of sugar.
Here are the fruits with the most amount of sugar:
1. Mangos – 1 mango = 45 grams
2. Grapes – 1 cup = 23 grams (thought to consider for wine consumers)
3. Cherries – 1 cup = 18 grams
4. Pears = 1 medium = 17 grams
5. Watermelon = medium slice = 17 grams
6. Figs = 2 medium size = 16 grams
7. Bananas = 1 medium = 14 grams
Here are fruit choices that have less sugar:
1. Avocado (yes it’s a fruit) = 1 whole avocado = only ½ grams sugar
2. Guava = 1 = 5 grams
3. Raspberries = 1 cup = 5 grams
4. Cantaloupe = 1 wedge = 5 grams
5. Papaya = ½ of one = 6 grams
6. Strawberries = 1 cup = 7 grams
“Pick” your options
The fruit in sugar makes us want more and more. Portion control waivers when a bowl of watermelon or a bag of grapes is staring at us. Yes, fruit is healthy, but at some point, the excess sugar would be like having candy. A little in your oatmeal, the flavored yogurt, the orange with lunch, and the apple on the salad for dinner…. well sugar is adding up and up. If we are to meet all 5 a day of the recommended amount, sugar is a consideration. That’s when a whole food supplement can help us out. Now when you “pick” your fruits, keep in mind the high and low sugar options.
Written by Megan Johnson McCullough
www.everybodysfitoceanside.com @megan_everybodysfit
https://www.facebook.com/megan.johnson.374549