I heard fruit has sugar, can I still have fruit if I have diabetes?
"I heard fruit has sugar, can I still have fruit if I have diabetes?"
How many of you have had a patient come into your office asking this exact question? 🙋♀️ (all of you better be nodding your heads)
Here’s the truth- people with diabetes can and should eat fruits.
Fruits do contain sugar- but they also provide fiber and a variety of different vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.
The benefits certainly outweigh the risks here.
Now imagine, this patient is in your office, and you’ve just told them that they should continue to eat fruits… but they also ask you how they should eat fruit…
Use this quick guide next time you have this conversation.
Step 1: make sure the patient knows what a serving of fruit is. The following are considered 1 serving of fruit for a person with diabetes:
1 small apple ½ banana 1 cup of berries 1 cup of melons 15 grapes
Step 2: eat your favorite fruit with a protein and/or a healthy fat. Here’s a few examples:
1 small apple with 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter
½ banana with 1 oz of walnuts
15 grapes with 2 oz cheese
½ cup of pears with ½ cup cottage cheese
Here’s why it’s better to eat fruit with protein or fat:
- Protein and fat minimally affect blood sugars.
- They actually have a stabilizing effect, so by pairing the two together, you create a balanced snack that keeps the blood sugars low, squeezes in an extra serving of fruits, AND keeps your patient fuller for longer (thus helping to manage their weight all in one!)
You can’t beat that!
The next time you have a patient with diabetes in your office asking if they can have fruit, make sure to tell them HOW to include fruit in their diet vs just telling them they need to eat more fruits with this simple guide!
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This article was written by Daria Zajac, RD, LDN works as an Outpatient Dietitian in Elk Grove Village, IL . Daria runs a blog centered around cultural nutrition with a focus on diabetes. https://thepolishdietitian.com/blog/
