Fruits with the highest sugar content include bananas, apples, grapes, cherries, and figs. The natural sugars in fruit differ from the added sugars found in some other sweet foods.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that adult females get 1.5–2 cups of fruit per day and adult males get 2–2.5 cups per day.
Whole fruit promotes good health despite its natural sugar content. In contrast, many foods with added sugar contribute calories without essential nutrients. Examples of foods with added sugar include cake, cookies, and ice cream.
This article explains which fruit has the highest amounts of sugar, the health benefits of fruit, and how much fruit to eat.
The natural sugars in fruit are different from the added sugars that many processed sweet foods have. Fruit contains the natural sugars fructose, glucose, and sucrose.
However, because it also contains fiber, it
Additionally, when a person eats a piece of fruit, they ingest an array of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.
In contrast, when they eat processed sugary foods, they ingest ingredients such as unnecessarily high fat content and refined grains, which are extremely low in nutrition.
Examples of added sugar in products
- corn sweetener
- high-fructose corn syrup
- honey
- malt sugar
- fruit juice concentrate
- sugar molecules, such as:
- dextrose
- fructose
- glucose
- maltose
Foods with added sugars
Manufacturers add such sugars to a host of products,
- ice cream
- candy
- cakes
- pies
- cookies
- doughnuts
- colas and other sugary beverages, such as sweet tea
- fruit drinks
- energy drinks
While fruits are very beneficial for health, some contain more sugar than others. The difference in sugar content can be important to people with diabetes, who must monitor their sugar intake. Below are ten fruits with higher quantities of sugar.
A pomegranate contains
A
A cup of grapes contains
A
A cup of chopped mango contains
Nutrients in mangoes include vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and beta carotene, a pigment with antioxidant properties.
One medium apple contains about
Research in a
A cup of sweet, pitted cherries contains
A
A large orange contains
As with other citrus fruits, oranges are a good source of vitamin C. They also contain calcium and potassium.
A cup serving of cubed pears contains
A
One banana contains about
Bananas are a good source of potassium and fiber.
A large fig contains
A
A cup of diced watermelon contains around
A
USDA guidelines for fruit consumption vary with a person’s biological sex and age. They recommend 1.5 to 2 cups for adult females and 2 to 2.5 cups for adult males. The following examples show some serving sizes that equal 1 cup of fruit:
- a small apple or half of a large apple
- a large banana
- five fresh figs
- a medium grapefruit
- seven slices of mango
- a large orange
- a small slice of watermelon
Below are some common questions about fruit and sugars.
Is the sugar in fruit bad for people?
Fruit
Are dried fruits high in sugar?
Dried fruits are
However, people may need smaller servings, by weight, of dried fruit to consume the same amount of sugar as fresh fruit alternatives.
What fruits can a person with diabetes eat?
The American Diabetes Association recommends any moderate servings of fresh or dried fruits without added sugars for people with diabetes. This may include:
- apples
- bananas
- berries
- melon
- kiwi
- oranges
- plums
The fruits with the highest sugar content include mangoes, pomegranates, oranges, and pears. If someone has diabetes, they can still have these fruits, but they may wish to ask their doctor if they should eat them in smaller portions.
When people eat a piece of fruit, in addition to natural sugars, they also ingest fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Conversely, when they eat foods with added sugars, they ingest very little fiber and nutrients compared to fruit.
Along with vegetables, fruits are an important part of a healthy diet. They may help protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory conditions.