Fruit can be as sweet as candy. If that’s stopping you from eating the recommended 2 cups per day, many fruits contain less sugar, offering a subtle hint of sweetness, a sweet-tart flavor or a tangy taste.
Fruits lower in sugar are also often lower in calories, but still provide the fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, plant compounds and other beneficial nutrients fruit is known for.
For that reason, any sugar in fruit is a healthy addition to the diet, says registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo, nutrition editor for TODAY. It provides energy the body needs, but in a much healthier way than added sugar in candy or soda. Some fruit also contains protein.
However, the sugar in fruit is less potent than that in desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages, so some people may feel like it doesn’t satisfy their sweet tooth, she adds.
“If that’s the case for you, try pairing fruit with a little bit of something sweeter. For instance, strawberries with dark chocolate chips or an apple with a little bit of Nutella,” Rizzo says.
“Those combinations are still better for you than a dessert or soda.”
Another option is to pop fruit in the microwave for 30 seconds — the heat releases its natural sweetness, so warming it makes it sweeter, Rizzo notes.
Some fruits are so sweet and naturally high in sugar that they can be used as sugar substitutes in baking.
If that’s not to your taste, these are the fruits that contain the least sugar:
Berries
- 1 cup of strawberries, 7 grams of sugar
- 1 cup of blackberries, 7 grams of sugar
- 1 cup of raspberries, 5 grams of sugar
Berries are antioxidant powerhouses with protective properties for the body. They’re also delicious eaten on their own, added to yogurt or blended into smoothies.
One serving of strawberries provides 100% of a person’s daily vitamin C needs. Raspberries are the highest whole-food source of fiber, with 8 grams of fiber in a cup, dietitians say. The deep color of blackberries signals the presence of anthocyanins, bioactive compounds in plants that provide the dark hue and act as antioxidants.
Melon
- 1 cup of diced watermelon, 9 grams of sugar
- 1 cup of diced cantaloupe, 12 grams of sugar
Watermelon contains more lycopene — a red pigment and powerful antioxidant that’s linked to lower blood pressure and lower stroke risk — than tomatoes. It’s also rich in potassium and magnesium, making it a heart-healthy fruit recommended by cardiologists.
Cantaloupe is high in vitamin A, with one cup providing 40% of the daily recommended amount of the nutrient important for eye health and immune function. It also contains about two-thirds of the daily value for vitamin C.
The melons are rich in water and electrolytes, helping to hydrate the body.
Citrus fruit
- One-half grapefruit, 8 grams of sugar
- 1 orange, 13 grams of sugar
- 1 lemon, 1 gram of sugar
Grapefruits and oranges are famously high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps boost the immune system. It’s healthy to eat the pith — the white layer on citrus — and the membranes because that’s where many of the fruit’s beneficial bioactive compounds are concentrated.
Lemons deliver all those benefits, too, though they’re too sour to eat on their own, so most people enjoy lemon juice or zest in sauces, vinaigrettes and drinks.
Kiwi
- 1 kiwi, 7 grams of sugar
Kiwi is another vitamin C star, but it also comes with vitamin E. It’s a powerful combination for skin health since both nutrients play key roles in keeping skin strong and protected.
The green little fruit is packed with fiber and contains lutein, an antioxidant involved in eye health. Eating two kiwis a day is “a suitable dietary treatment” to relieve constipation, studies have found.
Apricot
- 1 apricot, 3 grams of sugar
Like other orange-colored fruits, apricots deliver vitamin A and beta carotene. As a rich source of fiber, apricots prevent constipation and stimulate the movement of food through the digestive system, researchers note. The soluble fiber in apricots also helps reduce LDL cholesterol, they add.
Cranberries
- 1 cup of fresh whole cranberries, 4 grams of sugar
Fresh cranberries are too tart to eat on their own, but they can add a flavorful boost of vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants to smoothies, salads or savory recipes like cranberry avocado salsa.
Plum
- 1 plum, 6 grams of sugar
Sweet, but low in calories, plums can help you feel full due to their high fiber content, particularly soluble fiber, which “turns to gel” during digestion and slows it down, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The deep purple color of plums signals the presence of antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds.
Papaya
- 1 cup of papaya, 11 grams of sugar
Papaya has so many health benefits that it’s been called the “fruit of long life.” The bright orange flesh contains magnesium, potassium, folate, lycopene and vitamins A, C, E and K.
It comes with beta carotene and lycopene, too, plus fiber for gut health and potassium for heart health.
Papaya has a buttery, milky texture ideal for smoothies, the American Heart Association notes.
Peach
- 1 peach, 11 grams of sugar
Delicious and juicy, peaches contain more fiber, vitamin C and potassium than other stone fruits, dietitians say. Both the pulp and the peel show “high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects,” research has found.
