Worst food and fruit for diabetes

We spoke to two dietitians to get the scoop on the best and worst fruits for people with diabetes.

Can People With Diabetes Eat Fruit?
"All fruits have healthy qualities, even if you have diabetes," says Zoe Fienman, RD LDN CDE, a registered dietitian at OnPoint Nutrition. "They are filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals your body needs."

The Worst Fruits for People With Diabetes
Serving size is important for all fruits, especially those high on the glycemic index. Fienman recommends thinking about the serving size of a whole fruit (like an apple) to the size of a tennis ball and cut up fruit to a ½ cup. Even in these small servings, some fruits have more natural sugars and may spike blood sugar longer.

These fruits contain a high amount of natural sugars:

mango
banana
papaya
pineapple
watermelon
Skip the canned fruit.
Canned fruits and those cute little fruit cocktail cups may be convenient and inexpensive, but they aren't so good for you.

"Those canned in heavy or light syrup are not an ideal choice for persons with diabetes," says Kim Rose, RD and a certified diabetes care and education specialist. "This is because syrup-laden fruits contain added sugar that may be too much for the body to handle."

Be careful with dried fruits.
Drying fruit concentrates all of the yummy fruit flavor into one smaller bite, but it also concentrates many of the sugars. Even a small amount of dried fruit can put you over the edge.

Be careful to read dried fruit labels; many of them pack on the added sugars. Some are even sweetened, making the sugar problem worse. If you must have dried fruit, keep the quantities small. Rose recommends dates, figs, and prunes because they are lower on the glycemic index.

Juices and smoothies can be tricky.
Many store-bought juices — orange, apple, even green juices — sneakily add extra sugars, so you'll want to avoid those, too. Even juices or smoothies you make at home can require a lot of fruit for one glass (a small juice can often have two to three oranges), so it isn't always the best option for people with diabetes. If you want to have a smoothie, try adding in mostly vegetables and something like a half of a banana for sweetness.

The Best Fruits for People With Diabetes
Two to three servings of fruit a day is recommended, and that can is true for people with diabetes, too.

"If you combine fruit with a fat or protein, it will help you feel fuller and help with that portion control," Fienman says.

Here are some beneficial fruits that are not only lower on the glycemic index, but also pack a punch with other vitamins and minerals: