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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 am so happy that there is on option for everyone to be healthy
We love putting avocado in instead of banana… Or grocery store has Frozen avocado chunks which makes it super easy!
I like to add healthy fats and protein to balance out my smoothies and keep my blood sugar stable. My current favorite combo is chia seeds and coconut oil.
LOVE this! I’m on a very low sugar/carb diet right now and this is super helpful. Avocado (SO CREAMY)+a half a scoop of chocolate protein powder added to ANY combination if fruit + greens instantly makes it taste like a milkshake! Today used spinach, almond milk, protein and literally nothing except a small handful of frozen blueberries and it was a delicious nutritious start to my day! Full fat coconut milk is low sugar too & adding chia seeds of milled flax always helps up the fiber 🙂
Great post! Cauliflower has also been a great option for me to add creaminess, less sugar and more veggies!
I love this idea! Is the Cauliflower cooked? Or do you blend it raw into the smoothie? Thanks!
I will definitely be sharing these tips with my diabetic mommy-friends so they can enjoy some simple green (and yummy and healthy!) smoothies too!!
For convenience and time savings in the morning, we bag up the ingredients in reverse order and then freeze. This way the greens are on top of the bag and first in the blender.
Sounds so good! I have a diabetic in my family, and they always add a peach to their breakfast whether it’s oatmeal, cereal, or just as a side! I’ll show this recipie to her because she was always afraid of smoothies for their high sugar content, she’ll be happy this is something she can have!
I love using zucchini in smoothies to get a nice creamy texture. Avocado in place of banana is another one of my go-to low sugar swaps. I also find that adding extracts like caramel or vanilla add flavour without sugar, so you don’t miss the sweetness as much.
Thank you for this post! So important to have a reminde that not all fruit is high in sugar and in fact, not all sugar is bad! So happy my very favorite fruit (strawberry) is in this list along with several other favorites. Happy Blending!
My favorite low sugar green smoothie combo is spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, green apple, grape fruit, ginger and lemon.
This is so helpful! My dad is pre-diabetic, and I knew there had to be better things than fake sugar drinks that he’s been drinking!
Dark Sweet Cherries are great in smoothies!
I’ve fallen off the green smoothie truck for a bit, have just been busy and not taking the time. This is a great reminder that lowering sugar intake is so important and that green smoothies are a great way to do it.
I just found out on Tuesday that I am now considered a diabetic according to my blood results. Since then I have been feverishly searching everything I can to find out what I should do, what I should eat…and then your email popped up today about your friend! It was a relief to see someone took the time to make a low sugar recipe and share it, it gave me some ease that I can do this and hopefully get my body back to normal. Thank you!
As a cancer survivor, I also try to keep my sugar intake as low as possible. I love these low sugar smoothie recipes. What I have done in the past is to halve the fruit from the Simple Green Smoothie recipes… tastes ‘green’ at first but your taste buds adapt after a week or so… and now these smoothies seem delicious.