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Have you ever skipped making a smoothie after checking the sugar content? If so, this post is for you.
Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to eat more plants, but sugar can feel confusing or even intimidating. I want to help you feel confident choosing fruits that keep your smoothies balanced, satisfying, and blood-sugar friendly—without sacrificing flavor.
Below, I’m breaking down my favorite low sugar fruits, explaining why natural fruit sugar is different from processed sugar, and sharing a simple smoothie formula you can use every day.
Table of contents
Why I Care About Sugar in Smoothies
Drinking one smoothie a day is one of the simplest habits I know for supporting a healthy diet. There’s something powerful about sipping 16 ounces of leafy greens, fruit, and plant-based goodness. It supports digestion, boosts nutrient intake, and yes—often shows up as clearer skin and better energy. But if concerns about sugar are keeping you from blending, I want to remove that roadblock. You can enjoy smoothies while keeping your blood sugar happy.
Low Sugar Fruits
These fruits are naturally lower in sugar and work beautifully in smoothies, especially when paired with greens, protein, and healthy fats.
Lemon
1-2 g sugar per fruit
Bright, tart, and refreshing, lemon adds a clean citrus punch without sweetness. It pairs well with leafy greens, berries, cucumber, and ginger to balance flavors and wake up mild smoothies.
Lime
1-2 g sugar per fruit
Lime has a sharp, zesty flavor that adds instant freshness with almost no sugar. It works beautifully with tropical ingredients like mango or pineapple, and also with greens, avocado, and herbs.
Raspberry
5 g sugar per cup
Raspberries are tangy, slightly sweet, and packed with tiny seeds that add texture. They pair well with vanilla, cacao, lemon, and creamy bases like almond milk or yogurt.
Strawberry
7 g sugar per cup
Strawberries are lightly sweet with a juicy, familiar flavor most people love. They blend smoothly and pair well with banana, spinach, citrus, and nut butters.
Blackberry
7 g sugar per cup
Blackberries have a deep, rich berry flavor with mild tartness and visible seeds. They pair well with apple, pear, lemon, and greens, especially when blended with a high-speed blender.
Kiwi
6 g sugar per fruit
Kiwi is bright, tangy, and slightly tropical with a soft, creamy texture when blended. It pairs well with strawberries, pineapple, spinach, and citrus for a refreshing smoothie.
Grapefruit
9 g sugar per 1/2 fruit
Grapefruit is juicy and bittersweet, adding bold citrus flavor without much sugar. It pairs well with strawberries, oranges, spinach, and mint to balance its bite.
Avocado
1 g sugar per fruit
Avocado is mild, creamy, and nearly sugar-free, making it perfect for thickening smoothies. It pairs well with berries, cocoa, vanilla, greens, and citrus for balance.
Watermelon
10 g sugar per cup
Watermelon is light, juicy, and refreshing with a subtle sweetness. It pairs well with lime, mint, cucumber, strawberries, and leafy greens for hydrating smoothies.
Cantaloupe
13 g sugar per cup
Cantaloupe is soft, juicy, and gently sweet with a mellow flavor. It pairs well with citrus, ginger, yogurt, and berries to keep smoothies light and refreshing.
Orange
12 g sugar per fruit
Oranges are bright, juicy, and naturally sweet with a smooth citrus flavor. They pair well with carrots, strawberries, spinach, and tropical fruits for balanced smoothies.
Peach
13 g sugar per fruit
Peaches are soft, juicy, and mildly sweet with a floral flavor. They pair well with berries, vanilla, almond milk, greens, and ginger for creamy, comforting smoothies.
Natural Sugar VS Processed Sugar
Not all sugar is created equal. Fruit contains natural sugar plus fiber, water, vitamins, and antioxidants. Fiber slows sugar absorption and helps prevent sharp blood sugar spikes—something refined sugar can’t do. Research shows that regular fruit intake is associated with better metabolic health, not weight gain. That said, if fruit causes blood sugar spikes for you, it’s always wise to work with a practitioner to find what works best for your body.
A Simple Formula for Low Sugar Smoothies
My go-to smoothie formula is:
- 1.5 cups fruit + 1 cup leafy greens + 1 cup liquid
If you’re watching sugar, here’s the easy swap:
- 1.5 cups leafy greens + 1 cup fruit + 1 cup liquid
You still get a sweet, delicious smoothie—just with more fiber and fewer sugars. This approach works especially well for anyone managing blood sugar or looking for steadier energy.
Low-Sugar Fruit Smoothie Recipes
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.
How to Reduce Sugar Spikes Even More
If you’ve ever felt a sugar crash after a smoothie, it likely needs more balance.
Adding protein and healthy fat helps slow digestion and stabilize blood sugar. Your body works best with carbs, protein, and fat working together.
My favorite add-in is a plant-based protein powder, like my Homemade Protein Powder. One serving adds protein and healthy fats designed specifically for smoothies.
Common Questions
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!
These recipes are the best smoothie recipes out there! I just wish there was a way to get rid of the strawberry/blackberry seeds. The tip about blending the greens and liquid first completely changed our ability to drink smoothies with greens in them! Perfect for getting those 3 cups of greens a day with the walls or AIP diets!
I use a ton of greens in any of my smoothies. My favourite additions to smoothies would be hemp hearts or chia seeds & a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
Thanks for this post it reminded me about the 60/40 all though I will use an avocado instead of the banana.
This are great recipes I did the 7 days of Green Drinks and it was great! Need to do again.
Thank you!
Love this simple recipe. I worried about sugar but this post explains a lot, so I’m not afraid to try it anymore. The idea of a fruitless smoothie sounded awful, good to know it doesnt have to be that way. I always add collagen to my smoothies to help with protein.
I like to add more veggies like green peppers and cucumbers to keep green smoothie low in sugar.
So many new recipes to try! Can’t wait!
Jens ‘flip the ratio’ ratio advice was just what I needed to make smoothies with whatever I have in the fridge and freezer, no excuses! I have found that adding coconut oil really helps me feel full longer.
This blog came at the perfect time! I’ve been a rawkstar for a couple of years now (feels a little strange saying that 🙂 and have loved the smoothies but have lately been craving something not so sweet. I will definitely try the flipped ratio!
Also, if you’re really looking for help with inflammation, drink the hot water/lemon/ginger morning drink and then add ginger to your smoothie! I know there are a few recipes in the Simple Green Smoothies recipe book, so if you don’t have that, I recommend it! Ginger adds a great zing and personally, I feel the difference when I add more of it into my diet.
Love the options, so varied. I also add parsley for a boost of iron, and a great green colour!
I add celery and cucumber (in addition to my base of kale or spinach) and then 1-2 frozen fruits. That way its not just a veggie base and a bunch of fruit! Also, I add ground flaxseed and sometimes hemp hearts, too. Balance 🙂
An allergy test confirmed that I am allergic to raw sugars, that includes fruit. I had stopped making green smoothies due to the stomach cramps, this will allow me to hopefully make daily for breakfast again. Thank you so much, the avocado swap for banana is genius, keep the recipes coming!!!!
I too am a type 2 diabetic but I also have gastoparesis which a slow emptying tummy, for me anything blended is better than solid foods. My struggle is that I still want to eat solid foods so I try to eliminate the starchy ones by leaving out breads and pastas and having more fully cooked vegetables. For my pastas I use the spiralaized veggies. Hope that this helpful to some who may be dealing with some of the same issues.
I appreciate today’s blog as I’m a Type II diabetic. This article is a helpful kick in the butt to get me making smoothies again instead of late night meals in my busy schedule. I use to also bag the ingredients backwards so the leafy greens were on top to blend first then add the rest of the ingredients. Using this low glycemic list of fruit, I’m encouraged to start again and lower my A1C level. My goal is to get rid of my diabetic medication through the healing of food and exercise. The struggle is real but not impossible. Also JEN – your video of running at the Grand Canyon was inspirational. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I am allergic to bananas so I love Putting avocado in my smoothies. Less sugar but still gives that creamy texture!
You can also sub the banana with zucchini. It’s low sugar but still adds the creaminess. 🙂
Ugh, I misspelled my email address. It’s cwalsh at new dot rr dot com.
Thank you so much for always giving so much of yourself. I can feel your heart in all that you do! 🙂
I have been looking for some low sugar options, and can’t wait to incorporate more of these fruits. I’ve done green smoothies now with you book for years and I love it! Have definitely noticed a lot of health benefits (less migraines, energy, weight maintenance)