Best Low Carb Fruit Choices | Mark Daily Apple

To eat the fruit or not to eat it. this is the question.

It turns out that fruit is a controversial and sometimes confusing topic within the low-carb community. Some low-carb advocates argue that fruit should be completely restricted or avoided entirely, both because of the carbohydrates and because they are concerned about fructose. However, some of the most powerful of them carnivorous diet Proponents are now incorporating fruit and promoting a “meat and fruit” approach. That’s right, carnivores—which are described as having a zero-carb diet—now allow fruit (depending on who you ask).

Even for people who don’t have a particular philosophical sway against or in favor of fruit consumption, it can be difficult to say which fruits and how much to include if they’re aiming to cut back on carbs.

My position has always been that Fruit is a natural but not essential part of the human diet. Sure, they’re higher in carbs than meat or vegetables (on average), but fruits also come packed with fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants that benefit the body. Fruit can be a great way to do this Add carbs around your workouts If you like it. Eating the first fully ripe peaches of summer is quite an enjoyable experience.

But for people who are watching their carb intake, and especially for those on a very low carb diet ketogenic dietIt wouldn’t help to eat big bowls of fruit salad for breakfast. Here’s how to weigh the relative merits of different fruit options.

Choose the best low-carb fruits

There is no set algorithm that can issue an acceptable low-carb rating for a given fruit, but the factors below are the ones I consider relevant to this question.

1. Start with the amount of carbohydrates and fiber in a typical meal.

Carbohydrates because…obviously, and fiber because fiber isn’t absorbed and converted into glucose. Instead, it is mostly transmitted through the gut, where commensal microbes “feed” on specific species.. This is why some people only count net carbs, which is the total carbs minus the fiber.

I don’t even bother getting those granules. counting Total carbohydrates It is less work and avoids discussions about whether to subtract fiber from all sources or only from certain sources. Just understand that if you’re comparing two pieces of fruit with similar carb content, the higher fiber is likely to have less of an impact on your blood sugar.

You can stop there, or you can also …

2. Consider the antioxidant value.

Antioxidants They are compounds that help mitigate cellular damage due to free radicals, and fruit is a great source of antioxidants (although herbs and spices are even better). But not all fruits are created equal here. The antioxidant power of different foods is measured Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity, or ORAC. higher is better.

3. Consider the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL).

I don’t find GI or GL particularly worth worrying aboutHowever, you may be concerned if your doctor prescribes a low GI/GL diet.

The glycemic index measures how much of individual foods raise blood sugar when consuming a given amount of carbohydrate — 50 grams of carbohydrate from pineapple or 50 grams of carbohydrate from cantaloupe, for example, compared to 50 grams of carbohydrate from pure glucose. The glycemic load takes into account the typical serving size of each nutrient, which makes it even more beneficial. Watermelon, for example, has a glycemic index in the medium range but is relatively low because it’s mostly water.

• A GI of less than 55 is considered low, 56 to 69 is medium, and 70 or above is considered high.
• Low GL is 10 or less, average is 11 to 19, and high is 20 or greater.

All else being equal, select low GI/GL fruits.

4. Nutrition profile.

Finally, you can think about the specific nutrients that a particular fruit is particularly rich in. If you are trying to increase your potassium intake, you can eat avocados, guavas, or kiwis. For B6, choose durian (hold your nose).

Top 8 Low Carb Fruits

Without further ado, these are the top 8 completely unscientific fruits that I recommend to carb eaters.

Note that the values ​​below are approximate. Depending on the sources you use, you may reach slightly different values.

berries

Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries – they’re all good! Berries will offer the most antioxidants (highest ORAC scores) of all the fruits on this list.

• Carbohydrate serving per 1/2 cup: 7 to 11 grams (2 to 4 grams from fiber)
• ORAC: >4000 (Cranberry clock in 9621)
• GI: 25 (raspberry, cranberry) to 53 (cranberry)
• GL: 2 to 4

Cherry

Cherries are right up there with berries in terms of their antioxidant value.

• Carbohydrates per 1/2 cup (about 10 cherries): 12 grams (2 grams fiber)
• ORAC: 3747
• Guy: 25
• GL: 4

kiwi

Kiwis are underappreciated, perhaps for their hairy skin and, let’s face it, seedy interior. But one kiwi provides about 85 percent of your daily vitamin C needs (nearly twice the amount of an orange, ounce for ounce) and 31 percent of your daily vitamin K.

• Carbohydrates per kiwi: 10 grams (2 grams of fiber).
• ORAC: 862
• Guy: 50
• GL: 7.3

grapefruit

Half a grapefruit, which has a low glycemic index, will provide you with about half of the day’s vitamin C. Just don’t spoil it by sprinkling sugar on it.

• Carbs per half of a medium grapefruit: 14 grams (2 grams fiber)
• ORAC: 483
• Guy: 22
• GL: 2.4

apricot

If you’re looking for a bite-sized fruity morsel to satisfy a little sweet craving, look no further.

• Carbs per apricot: 4 grams (1 gram is fiber)
• ORAC: 1100
• Guy: 34
• GL: 3.8

cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is comparable to bananas in potassium, with about half the carbs. It’s also delicious when rolled in prosciutto. Not every fruit can say that.

• Carbohydrates per cup: 13 grams (1.5 grams fiber)
• ORAC: 319
• Guy: 65
• GL: 4

Guava

You might be surprised to see a tropical fruit on this list because it is so high in carbohydrates. (In fact, this is the highest-carb option here, though by no means astronomical.) But guava has lower GI and GL, and most importantly, it is a nutritional powerhouse. One cup of guava bloats the other fruit out of its water, providing 500 percent of your daily vitamin C needs (five times that of a medium orange), and 688 mg of potassium (about 1.5 medium bananas, which come packed with 40 grams of carbohydrates), and 42 percent of the daily value for copper.

• Carbohydrates per cup: 24 grams (9 grams fiber)
• ORAC: 1422-2550
• Guy: 24
• GL: 5

avocado

Of course, we can’t get over a list of the best fruits that omitted the avocado. Besides its healthy fat content—one of the reasons avocados are so beloved in the keto world—they contain respectable amounts of B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin K, potassium, copper, and antioxidants.

• Carbohydrates per 1 avocado: 12 grams (9 grams fiber)
• ORAC: 1922
• Guy: 10
• GL: 9

Do you like what you see?

I guess I just pissed off or confused some of you. Rest assured, YJust because your favorite fruit isn’t shown here doesn’t mean it isn’t approved. This is all somewhat personal.

I don’t want you to overthink these things anyway. The goal is to be aware of what’s going on in your body, not to obsess over the relative merits of one plum versus three apricots. This type of acquisition It is more harmful to your health than any amount of fruit could be. Any fruit would be a better, more primal choice than the overly processed junk lining your supermarket shelves.

Well, that’s it for today. What fruits will make your list? Any favorites you feel I’ve left out here? Let me know in the comments.

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