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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!
Love today’s berry juice! Yum!
Hi! I’ve been using your green smoothie recipes on-and-off for a few years. Is there a way to search for recipes that use specific ingredients on your website (like you can on the app)? I recently started a low carb diet, and I am looking at your recipes that use the lower sugar fruits. My diet cuts out fruits for the first phase, although I can have an apple a day. I have also been reading about the health benefits of celery juice. I am looking for a low carb recipe that incorporates a lot of celery. I am thinking … celery, cucumber, and apple to sweeten it up? Or maybe add avocado? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Hey Christina,
At the top right of our website you will see a search bar and if you type in “celery” all of our recipes with that ingredient will show up. However if you are wanting recipes with a combination of specific ingredients you should check out our Daily Blends App! You will be able to search specific ingredients and the recipe will show up for you.
Hope that helps!
Thank you. This list is very helpful!
Hey Edwige,
You are welcome!! So happy it was helpful to you 🙂
Thanks much for the recipes. I particularly like the idea of using more greens to help cut down on the sugar as I am pre-diabetic and working hard to maintain a very low sugar level. Thanks much.
Hey Doris,
So glad that this recipe was helpful to you!
We make sure we try our best to accommodate everyone’s needs and I am so glad yours was one of them! 🙂
I can maintain my weight consuming fruitful green smoothies, but I don’t lose weight unless I cut way back on the fruit. So this is my basic low sugar combo: Greens, green apple, carrot, celery with unsweetened nut milk. Sound bland? Here’s the fun part: Add 1/4-inch peeled ginger, 1/8-inch slice of well cleaned organic lemon with the rind, and some vanilla protein powder. Works best in a Vita-Mix; I tried it with a Kitchen-Aid and it was way too chunky.
Hey Daun,
That sounds like a really delicious recipe! Love that you have found what works best for you and made it your own.
Cheers!
Thank you for this article! I need to cut back on natural sugars to heal my body, and knowing these low sugar fruits will definitely help with the transition!
Hey Amy,
So happy this recipe was helpful to you! Wishing you the best with your health journey.
xoxoxo
I actually don’t use any fruit in my smoothies anymore! After the October 21 day cleanse I noticed I prefer my smoothies with no fruit! I use coconut water, spinach, kale lemon and ginger. It is so so good, like a delicious green juice because my vitamix blends the greens so fine. I’ve had this everyday since the cleanse and I’m not bored of it yet!
I always use water in my smoothies. It’s a taste preference for me, but I know that helps keep the sugar content lower.
I’ve never bought pears due to their texture, but they would be a great addition to my smoothies. Thanks for the tip.
One idea to replace up sweetness without sugar is to blend with fresh mint. If I weren’t nursing, I’d be doing that äll the time (my body/supply is very sensitive to mint). Another awesome combination is peach and raspberry. I’d your peach is perfectly ripe, it’s smooth like a banana. Mint + peach + raspberry sounds awesome to me!
I love this recipe, I needed something like to help me with my sugar intake. Your blogs and emails have been so helpful to me. Can’t wait to have new recipe !!!
I rarely use fruit – instead celery, cucumber, broccoli and greens.
I have been passing this website to everyone I know. Your really doing a great job!
I’ve been trying to cut down on my sugars yet LOVE your green smoothies. This recipe and your tips are def going to help me reduce my sugars and still enjoy my smoothie. Thanks Jen! xoxox
Thank you for addressing diabetes for a better smoothie option with less natural sugar.
I never thought that I could get my kids to eat veggies especially spinach or kale but they do now with these smoothies and they love them! The Green Goblin is one of my favorites and so easy to make. I even started making my husband the tumeric tea for his hands because they hurt. Thank you so much for all the great ideas especially the smoothie pops for the kids. I love your app and use it daily!