Glycemic Index Fruit

Did you know the international glycemic index tables were last updated in 2021 and they reclassified many foods?

The information in this article reflects the most up-to-date data available, and new glycemic load data in the glycemic index fruit chart.

You'll see the lowest glycemic fruits and the best fruits for diabetics.

Jump to:

• What is Glycemic Index?
• What Affects the Glycemic Index of a Food?
• Lowering Glycemic Index
• What Fruit Can a Diabetic Eat?
• Glycemic Load: How does it factor in?
• Glycemic Index Fruit Chart
• 5 Best Fruits for Diabetics
• Low Glycemic Fruits
• More Low Glycemic Info
• Low Glycemic Index Fruits FAQ
• Low Glycemic Vegetables
• More to See
• Reader Reviews

What is Glycemic Index?

Glycemic index (GI) is a scale from 1 to 100 that shows how quickly, or how slowly, a food raises your blood sugar. Foods are assigned a value based on the food eaten by itself, without the influence of other foods.

Be aware that the serving size changes for each food.

Low glycemic foods have a smaller effect on blood sugar than medium or high glycemic foods.
Here's how the scale is broken into low, medium and high.

What Affects the Glycemic Index of a Food?

Glycemic index is determined by the food's nutritional information, such as:

• the number of carbohydrates
• the type of carbs (whether simple or complex)
• the amount of fiber
• the amount of fat
• the amount of protein

Additionally, the food's ripeness, processing, form (liquid or solid; long or short grain), cooking method, and more affect its glycemic value.

Simple Carbs vs Complex Carbs - Know Your Carbs

Simple carbohydrates, chemically speaking, are sugar molecules that stand alone, or are paired with one other sugar molecule. They are already in their simplest form, so they enter the blood stream quickly when eaten. If a food has a significant amount of simple carbs, it is likely high glycemic.

Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are long chains of sugar molecules that need to be broken down into simple carbs. This takes time, so complex carbs enter the blood stream at a slower rate.

Lowering Glycemic Index

A food's glycemic value can be raised by removing the the nutrients that help slow carb digestion; like in white flour.

A food's glycemic index cannot be lowered on its own, normally.

An exception to this rule is starchy foods. Check out the GI of potatoes and sweet potato GI.

However, you can lower a food's glycemic effect by eating other foods with it that have significant protein, fat, or fiber. Foods with these nutrients will slow the carbs entering your blood stream.

This fruit pairing chart has a few examples:

Carb	Fat/Protein
Apple	Peanut Butter
Melon	Prosciutto
Watermelon	Feta Cheese

What Fruit Can a Diabetic Eat?

A diabetic can eat any fruit!

Fruits are abundant in nutrients and should not be avoided just because they have simple sugars.

No fruit should be ruled out of your diet until you've tested it by portioning and pairing with adequate amounts of protein, fat, and/or fiber. Unfortunately, there is no perfect ratio. It's a trial and error journey.

Glycemic Load: How does it factor in?

Sugars in fruits can spike blood sugar which is why glycemic index is a helpful tool to estimate how quickly it will happen, but it doesn't paint the whole picture.

Glycemic Load uses a food's glycemic index value and factors in portion size to better determine how the food will effect blood glucose. Glycemic load is already calculated in the chart below, but here's the simple equation:

To determine the glycemic load of a banana we take the index value (49) and multiply it by the carbs in the serving size (34), then divide by 100.

49 x 34 / 100 = 17 ~ 1 cup of sliced banana has a medium glycemic load.

Glycemic Load	Range
Low	0 - 10
Medium	11 - 19
High	20 & over

To demonstrate the usefulness of glycemic load, compare banana to watermelon.

Banana has a GI of 49, and watermelon is 50, but in one cup banana has 34 carbs and watermelon has 12. Banana's glycemic load is medium at 17, but watermelon's load is low at 6.

Glycemic Index Fruit Chart

This chart is (best viewed on desktop). If the 2021 tables lacked data, the tables from 2008 or 2002 were used.

In addition to glycemic index and load, serving size and basic nutrition information are included from the USDA. The table includes common fresh and dried fruits. Any information left blank was unavailable.

Screenshot or Download!

5 Best Fruits for Diabetics

These fresh fruits are high in fiber and/or very low on the glycemic index, making them great for diabetes.

• Citrus - Oranges, Grapefruit
• Guava
• Berries - Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Blueberries
• Plums
• Cherries

Low Glycemic Fruits

This chart graphic is of the best low glycemic and low carb fruits, but remember that a fruit can be eaten with another food to slow your glucose response.

More Low Glycemic Info

• Mango glycemic index
• Watermelon glycemic index
• Diabetes and carrots

Low Glycemic Index Fruits FAQ

Low Glycemic Vegetables

Starchy vegetables tend to be root veggies (potatoes, cassava, parsnips) and winter squashes (acorn & butternut), but they also include green peas and corn. They are higher on the glycemic index.

Here's a plethora of non-starchy vegetables diabetics can enjoy without worry of spiking blood sugar.

More to See

Share with us which fruits and pairings work for you in the comments below.