Are you being told to not eat certain fruits because they’re higher in carbohydrates and sugar? For some fruits, such as bananas and apples, this may be true. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t eat them. While they may have more naturally occurring carbs and sugars, they are still packed with vitamins and minerals that are essential to a healthy diet. Obtaining these nutrients from clean and natural sources is much better than all the added sugars from more processed sweets such as candy, cake, and ice cream. Here’s a couple tables to compare:

Fruit	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)	Fat (g)	Fiber (g)
Banana (1 medium)	29	21	0	4
Apple (1 medium)	22	16	0	5
Orange (1 medium)	15	12	0	3
Grapes (1/2 cup)	8	7	0	0
Watermelon (1/2 cup)	6	5	0	0
Strawberries (1/2 cup)	6	4	0	2

 

Other Sweets	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)	Fat (g)	Fiber (g)
Dove Chocolate	24	22	13	1
Birthday Cake	40	31	15	0
Ice Cream	34	31	16	1
Starburst	34	22	3	0
Reese’s	24	21	13	1
Hard Candies	28	18	0	0

 

*Nutrition information is based on suggested serving sizes on packages and may vary based on type of product*

Unless you are needing to avoid certain fruits for medical reasons or need to closely monitor your blood sugar levels, there is no reason to avoid certain fruits just because you are told they are “bad”. All fruits are wonderful and delicious, so try to incorporate 2-3 servings a day into your diet. Integrate of variety of fruits, too! Maybe there’s something you’ve never tried before that you might really like such as mangos, kiwis, or even more uncommon fruits such as star fruit or dragon fruit! Explore the produce section at your local supermarket or even your nearby farmer’s market for locally grown fresh fruits that are in season (and cheaper, too!).