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Have you ever not blended a smoothie after seeing the sugar content? If so, then this post is for you! I’m sharing what fruits are low in sugar and highlighting my fav low sugar fruits, as well as sharing the best smoothie recipes using fruits with less sugar.
Why do I care about the sugar content of my smoothies? Well…
Drinking one green smoothie a day is one of the simplest ways to maintain a healthy diet.
There’s just something about drinking 16 ounces of pure leafy green and fruit goodness that makes the skin glow. And if the sugar content is keeping you from drinking a daily smoothie, then I want to help!
Table of contents
Which Fruits are Low in Sugar?
I’m sure this question has everyone naming a variety of berries, yet berries aren’t the only fruits with less sugar. Check out this sweet list:
- Lemon 1-2 grams per fruit
- Lime 1-2 grams per fruit
- Raspberry 5 grams per cup
- Strawberry 7 grams per cup
- Blackberry 7 grams per cup
- Kiwi 6 grams per kiwi
- Grapefruit 9 grams per 1/2 fruit
- Avocado 1 gram per fruit
- Watermelon 10 grams per cup
- Cantaloupe 13 grams per cup
- Orange 12 grams fruit
- Peaches 13 grams per fruit
Since 1 serving of green smoothie has 1.5 cups of fruit, feel free to swap out a higher sugar fruit in any of my smoothie recipes for 1.5 cups of any fruit on this list. That will immediately lower the sugar content.
Natural Sugar VS Processed Sugar
It’s super important to note that not all sugar is created equal. 1 cup of refined sugar is NOT the same as 1 cup of fruit sugar. Why? because fruit not only contains sugar, but also fiber. Fiber is essential for breaking down sugar, and keeping our bodies from a sugar crash.
Daily consumption of fruit can actually combat obesity, according to a study done by the US National Library of Medicine. Yet, if fruit still causes your blood sugar to spike, then speak to your practitioner for the best diet plan for you.
Green Smoothie Formula for Low Sugar Smoothies
My tried and true green smoothie formula is this: 1.5 cups fruit + 1 cup leafy greens + 1 cup liquid. Use this and you can’t go wrong! Yet, if you’re trying to keep your blood sugar happy, then I’ve got a trick for you…. just flip the formula.
That’s right, turn that smoothie formula into 1.5 cups leafy greens + 1 cup fruit + 1 cup liquid. A deliciously sweet smoothie, yet lower in sugar! This way you can still enjoy a variety of fruits and also keep your body from experiencing a sugar crash. I’ve got quite a few smoothies for diabetics that meet this criteria!
Fruit Smoothies with Less Sugar
These smoothies are my go-to when looking for a low sugar option. Try a few of these and then let me know what you think!
- Raspberry smoothie
- Strawberry banana smoothie
- Apple celery smoothie
- Lime smoothie pops
- Banana oatmeal smoothie
- Strawberry smoothie
- Avocado smoothie
- Cherry Vanilla Diabetes Smoothie
All of the smoothies above have less than 20 grams of sugar per serving. Plus, they’re loaded with fiber to help process that sugar into useable energy in the body. If you are looking for smoothies low in sugar then check out my list of smoothies for diabetics… or just anyone looking for a sugar stable drink.
More ways to process sugar in smoothies
If you want to lower the sugar in your smoothie even more, then boost it with protein + healthy fat. Your body needs carbs (sugar + fiber) and protein, as well as healthy fat to function properly. If you find yourself having a sugar crash after drinking a smoothie, then you should be boosting it to help process the carbs you just ingested.
My fav way to boost a smoothie is with a plant based protein powder, like homemade protein powder. This protein powder is designed especially for smoothies. 1 serving adds 10 grams of protein as well as 4 grams of fat to every smoothie.
Low Sugar Fruits FAQs
While fruits naturally have some sugar, there are options that are low… and have fiber to help your body process that natural sugar to keep your glucose from spiking. This includes: papaya, lemons, watermelon, grapefruit, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.
Pomegranates, mango, bananas and oranges are higher in natural sugar. Choose greener bananas for a lower sugar option and eat these after eating a meal loaded with vegetables, protein and healthy fat to lower a potential sugar spike.
Stick to my low sugar fruit list for fruits that will give you the smallest amount of natural sugar, and eat those fruits after eating other foods like vegetables, protein and healthy fat. Eating fruit with things like almonds, cashews, nut butter, in a salad with plenty of vegetables and leafy greens, or with a meal or in a green smoothie can all help your body best process those fruits.
What are your fav low sugar fruits and how do you like to eat them? Drop a comment and share!
I’ve been drinking one green smoothie a day since February and for most of that time this is the only sugar I allowed myself for the day except what might occur naturally in dairy or veggies… Also limited my dairy…I lost eleven pounds and feel so much healthier! I have wondered about reducing sugar for friends with diabetes so thanks for the info! This smoothie is delicious as is but I’m excited to try it without the banana!
Love having berries in my smoothie!
I like to use unsweetened (plain) almond milk (without fillers) in my smoothies when I feel like I need a little extra protein – helps keep me going longer!
PS – Your cleanse was key in reversing my husband’s pre-diabetic diagnosis. Our Dr was SO pleased, and now my husband runs marathons! Thank you! SGS Rawks!!
My sister is a Type 1 Diabetic and always avoids drinking green juices with me because of the high amounts of sugar! I typically do a recipe with apple, mango and 1/2 banana and a ton of kale. However, the banana and mango are loaded in blood-sugar-spiking capabilities so I always feel guilty when eating it in front of her. With the avo swap I’ll still be able to achieve the creaminess of the smoothie without all of the sucré and we’ll be able to test this out together! Apples have a ton of fiber so I think that with the avo and some matcha and mint will be a delish combo. Can’t wait to test it out!
I’m looking forward to trying some diabetic-friendly green smoothies! I always use water in place of juice in smoothie recipes and try to keep my sugar consumption in check daily. Thanks for the love!
Love these! (as always) Berries are SO good for SO many parts of our bodies. Sipping slowly can help with avoiding blood sugar spikes as well.
I really loved the article on diabetes and sugar as I too am Type 2 and have been struggling with ways to keep my sugar in check. I was at an AIC of 11 and am now down to 7.5 / 7.9 and if I can get and keep below 6.5, I can stop the meds. This gives me great hope and will now make sure I’m using these fruits. Thanks so much.
Perfect timing. My daughter was looking for lower sugar smoothies to have for breakfast. She is pre diabetic and with a family history of diabetes, she wants to get ahead of it.
I like that you have an alternative to banana in this recipe and others because I have an allergy to bananas and it seems that every smoothie recipe out there calls for a banana in it.
Sometimes I’ll swap out a cup of water and use a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk when I want to keep the fruit/sugars low but keep the flavor…um, less green! I’m going to try the avocado-banana swap today!
I love this recipe i love the blueberries taste.
When I was working with a CNHP she had me make this smoothie. I don’t have accurate measurements it had leafy greens of choice,half of a cucumber or zucchini and a quarter cup sunflower seeds and water to blend to suitable texture.
Thanks Jen, this came at a perfect time. My mother has just been diagnosed with cancer (very treatable thankfully!) and she’s now switched to a completely plant based diet – I’ve been making a lot of juices and smoothies for her but want to avoid sugar as much as possible (due to the link in sugar = cancer cell growth) have bookmarked this post and I’ve no doubt I’ll be referring to it regularly – will be giving these recipes a go this week! Cheers!
This information is super helpful. I always find your emails to be educational and get many creative ideas!! thank you.
Erica
Thank you Erica! I am so happy that this article was helpful to you 🙂
Avocado really does make a smoothie creamy, and they don’t overpower the rest of the ingredients – I am a believer 🙂
Hey April,
I am right there with you! I love avocado in almost everything and it really is the best addition to my smoothie too 🙂
Thanks so much! I’ve been looking for a low sugar smoothie I could drink that would still taste good! The fact that adding the leafy greens will boost the fiber and also help slow down the absorption of the fruit sugars is genius! I made this recipe yesterday and I’m already craving it again today!
Hey Dani,
Yay! So happy that you loved this recipe and it had you coming back for more! 🙂
Cheers!