When you’re trying to lose weight the sugar in fruit can thwart your plans. It might be NATURAL, but it still contains sugar and calories so that doesn’t mean it can be considered a free-for-all. A good resource to use when selecting fruits is the glycemic index. The glycemic index is a way to measure how carbohydrates react in your blood. When you eat carbs, your blood sugar level rises anywhere from a little to a lot. The GI uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher numbers given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar.
So, when choosing fruit (and any other food for that matter), the lower the GI score, the better.
Source: Glycemic Index Foundation
LOW GI (55 and under)
Cherries 22
Grapefruit 25
Apple 38
Plum 39
Strawberries 40
Peach 42
Orange 43
Grapes 46
Kiwi 52
Banana 54
Mango 55
Medium GI (56 to 69)
Apricots, fresh 57
Raisins 64
Cantaloupe 65
Pineapple, fresh 66
High GI (70 AND ABOVE)
Watermelon 72
Dates 103
I would assume that other berries like raspberries and blueberries would fall somewhere near strawberries on the glycemic index. It’s also interesting to note that Shakeology came in at just 24 on the glycemic index. The only fruit that beats Shakeology is cherries! For more information check out this article: Shakeology and the Glycemic Index.
Amanda is a wife, toddler mom, PMAD survivor, certified nutrition and running coach, recovering perfectionist, and minimalist-in-training. Her mission in life is to help others get off the pity potty, embrace their own brand of weirdness, and get after their dreams. Proverbs 3:5-6