What fruit lowers blood sugar

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

What are normal blood sugar levels?
Diabetes blood sugar levels for diagnosis
Beans and lentils
Animal proteins: Salmon, other fatty fish, and eggs
Nuts, seeds, and nut/seed butters
Fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, vegetables
Leafy greens
Grapes, blueberries, and apples
Citrus fruit
What to eat when your blood sugar is high

Medically Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS on March 03, 2022

You might have heard that you can’t eat fruit if you have diabetes. Fruit has carbohydrates and a form of natural sugar called fructose, which can raise your blood sugar levels. But it can still be part of your meal plan. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, and powerful plant compounds called phytochemicals.

Thanks to phytochemicals, eating fruit may lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, and stroke and boost your overall health. That's important because diabetes is linked to a higher risk of heart disease and other problems.

Many fruits are high in fiber, too. Fiber slows digestion, helping to prevent blood sugar spikes. It also makes you feel fuller, which can help you keep a healthy weight.

Because they have carbohydrates, fruits will raise your blood sugar. So it’s important to count the carbs you eat and balance them with medicine, diet, and lifestyle choices. If you’re having trouble keeping your blood sugar under control, let your doctor know right away.

One serving of fruit has 15 grams of carbs. But the serving size can be very different depending on the type of fruit. For example, you get 15 grams of carbs from:

1/2 medium apple or banana
1 cup blackberries or raspberries
3/4 cup blueberries
1 1/4 cup whole strawberries
1 cup cubed honeydew melon
1/8 cup raisins

Carbs aren’t the only number to keep in mind. The glycemic index (GI) measures how a food affects your blood sugar. Foods that are low on the scale raise it slowly. Those high on the scale raise it quickly.

Eating mostly low-GI foods can help you keep control of your blood sugar. But they may not always be good for you. A candy bar and a cup of brown rice can have the same GI value. Be sure to keep nutrition in mind when choosing what to eat.

A large serving of a low-GI food will usually raise your blood sugar as much as a small amount of a high-GI food. So experts also use glycemic load (GL), a measurement that involves portion size as well as the GI number, to give more details about these effects. For example, an orange has a GI of 52 but a glycemic load of 4.4, which is low. A candy bar with a GI of 55 may have a GL of 22.1, which is high.

Small steps can make a big difference in your blood sugar levels. Be sure to:

Watch your portion sizes, especially with dried fruit. Two tablespoons of raisins have the same amount of carbs as a small apple.
Choose fresh or frozen fruit when you can. Processed fruits like applesauce and canned fruit in syrup or juice often have more carbs and can raise your blood sugar higher than fresh fruits.
When you eat dried or processed fruit, check the label. Many have added sugar, and serving sizes can be very small.
Go easy on the fruit juice. It’s high in carbs: Eight ounces of apple juice has 29 grams of carbs. And it doesn’t have fiber to slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes like whole fruit does. Research even links drinking lots of fruit juice with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
Spread your fruit out over the day. Instead of two servings for breakfast, have one at breakfast and another at lunch or as a snack.

All fruits have vitamins, phytochemicals, and other things that make them good for you. But some are more likely to lower your chances of chronic disease:

Blackberries. One cup of raw berries has 62 calories, 14 grams of carbohydrates, and 7.6 grams of fiber.
Strawberries. One cup of whole strawberries has 46 calories, 11 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber.
Tomatoes. One cup of sliced or chopped tomatoes has 32 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of fiber.
Oranges. One medium orange has 69 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fiber.

The fiber in fresh fruit helps keep most of them low on the GI scale (55 or under). Examples include:

Apples
Oranges
Bananas
Mangoes
Dates
Pears

A few fruits are on the higher end of the GI scale (70 or higher). These include:

While there isn’t one food that will magically protect your body from developing diabetes, there are some foods that research has proven can help promote healthy blood sugar levels over time. Keep reading to learn what foods help lower blood sugars, and which foods to eat in the moment when your blood sugar is higher than you’d like.

*This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services. This article and the links contained in it provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical care. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or registered dietitian.*

What are normal blood sugar levels?

Before we get started, let’s review some definitions of what “normal blood sugar” means for people without diabetes:

A normal “fasting” blood glucose taken first thing in the morning after waking up is 99 mg/dL or lower.
A random blood glucose test taken anytime of the day without regard to the last time you’ve eaten should be under 200 mg/dL.

If you have diabetes (any type), your doctor will discuss specific blood sugar goals with you. These goals can vary based on a variety of factors.

Diabetes blood sugar levels for diagnosis

Blood glucose tests that show any of the following levels can be used to diagnose diabetes:

Fasting blood glucose of 126 mg/dL or higher (100-125 mg/dL is considered pre-diabetes)
Random blood glucose of 200 mg/dL or higher

Most people assume that lowering blood sugar levels is only related to the food you eat. But, there are many other things that can impact blood sugar levels. These include: activity level, stress levels, hormones, and more. The following strategies have been proven to help reduce blood sugar levels over time:

Be physically active on a regular basis.
Consistently eat fiber rich carbohydrates.
Drink water throughout the day.
Manage stress levels.
Monitor blood sugar levels regularly.
Get enough sleep.
Eat a nutrient-rich diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables.

There are no foods that will immediately lower your blood sugar in the moment, but if consistently eaten over time, some foods have been proven to help promote stable blood sugars and lower average blood glucose levels.

So, what foods help lower blood sugar?

Oats
Beans and lentils
Salmon and other fatty fish
Eggs
Nuts and nut butters
Seeds and seed butters
Unsweetened yogurt and kefir
Fermented vegetables
Leafy greens
Grapes
Blueberries
Apples
Citrus fruit
Avocados

Let’s take a closer look at each of these foods…

Oats

I use oats in a lot of recipes because they are a higher fiber and higher protein grain option compared to traditional flours. Oats are rich in soluble fiber which is known to help promote healthy blood sugar levels.

Beans and lentils

Similar to oats, beans are rich in fiber and protein, two nutrients we know help promote blood sugar balance. And more specifically, they offer a good amount of soluble fiber (like oats) and resistant starch. Both of these types of carbohydrate take longer for our bodies to digest and thus help promote more stable blood sugars.

Animal proteins: Salmon, other fatty fish, and eggs

Fatty fish (like salmon) and eggs are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and they also offer a quality source of protein and fat. Protein and fat both help buffer your body’s blood sugar response after eating and encourage stable blood sugars.

Nuts, seeds, and nut/seed butters

Nuts, seeds, and their respective butters offer quality sources of protein, plant based fat, and fiber… all three of our blood sugar balancing nutrients we look for! These foods have been shown to not only help promote healthy blood sugar levels, but also keep you more satisfied and full for longer.

Fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, vegetables

Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and others contain probiotics. A diet rich in probiotics can not only lower blood glucose levels, but also blood insulin levels according to some studies.

Leafy greens

Leafy greens are a rich source of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as fiber and can be easily added to everything from smoothies to omelettes to salads. And as we discussed before, foods higher in fiber help promote healthy blood sugar levels.

Grapes, blueberries, and apples

One of the biggest myths that still exists about blood sugar management, is that people looking to balance blood sugar shouldn’t eat fruit. But, the truth is we have so much data to show that a diet that includes fruit is not only protective against developing pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, but it can also help manage existing diabetes. Specifically, research has shown higher consumption of grapes, blueberries, and/or apples is associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Citrus fruit

Eating whole citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruit, may help promote healthy blood sugars and other related markers like insulin levels and hemoglobin A1c.

Avocados

Avocados are not only delicious but they are high in plant based fats and fiber. Both of these nutrients slow down the absorption process and promote a steady supply of energy to the blood stream… aka, blood sugar balance!

And, there are many other foods that can also help lower blood sugars over time in addition to the foods I’ve listed above.

Discussing what foods help lower blood sugar over time does not address what we should do in the moment when blood sugars are elevated though. This discussion is often more relevant to people on insulin (type 1 diabetes and insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes), but can apply to all forms of diabetes.

How to lower blood sugar fast in the moment can depend on a variety of factors, but the following strategies are almost always helpful.*

Go for a walk**
Drink a large glass of water
Take rapid acting insulin if directed by your doctor

*Extremely high blood sugar (>250mg/dL) can be a life threatening situation if ketones are also present. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can develop when blood sugars reach this level. Discuss your plan of action with your doctor if/when this happens. This includes knowing when it’s ok to stay home and treat your blood sugar and when you need to head to the emergency room.

**Exercise may not be appropriate if blood sugars are >250mg/dL. Discuss this with your doctor before trying to exercise when your blood sugar is this high.

What to eat when your blood sugar is high

Usually, you can still eat all the regular fat, fiber, and protein-rich foods you’d typically eat when your blood sugar is elevated. There is no need to restrict food or eliminate carbohydrates in these moments, but it does warrant being more aware of the foods you’re eating and really ensuring we’re filling your plate with complex carbohydrates and nutrient-rich protein sources. Next time your blood sugar is high and you’re wondering what foods help lower blood sugars or what to eat for your next meal try one of these meals:

For more resources on managing diabetes and balancing blood sugars, check out the Diabetes 101 section of my website. We cover a variety of topics all related to balancing blood sugars!