How to Choose Low‐Carb Fruits

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1Choosing Low-Carb Berries

2Evaluating Other Low-Carb Fruits

3Selecting Low-Carb Fruit Products

4Choosing Fresh and Seasonal Fruit

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Tips and Warnings

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Choosing low-carb fruits begins with asking yourself how many carbohydrates you want to consume each day (or each meal). If you have diabetes, this is something you should determine with your doctor — they should provide you with a personalized range of carbs you should have each day. If you're on a specialized diet, such as Atkins, you should have information about how many net carbs to consume in each phase. Once you’ve determined what level of carbs is acceptable, you can choose from berries or regular fruits. Identify the signs of freshness within each class of low-carb fruit you’re interested in and use this knowledge to choose only the freshest low-carb fruits. Don’t neglect your options — frozen, canned, and dried low-carb fruits are also useful.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Choosing Low-Carb Berries

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   Choose a super-low-carb berry. Berries that have some of the lowest carb counts include strawberries, raspberries, pokeberry shoots, cranberries, and blackberries. Among this group of low-carb berries, pokeberry shoots have the lowest carbohydrate count (about 1 gram of carbs per quarter-cup), while blackberries have the highest (about 2.7 grams of carbs per quarter-cup).
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   Select berries with mid-range carb levels. Other berries that have slightly higher – but still low – carb levels include elderberries, currants, blueberries, and açaí berries. Elderberries and currants have 4 grams of carbs per quarter-cup, while açaí berries have 5 grams of carbs per quarter-cup.
3. 
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   Choose berries with higher carb counts. These are berries with carb counts of 8 grams of carbs or more. This group includes salmonberries, boysenberries, loganberries, huckleberries, and gooseberries.

   • The berry in this group with the highest carb count is the boysenberry, which packs a whopping 13 grams (0.46 oz) of carbs per quarter-cup.
   • Loganberries, huckleberries, and salmonberries tie for the lowest carb count in this group. Each of these contains 8 grams of carbs per quarter-cup.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Evaluating Other Low-Carb Fruits

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   Choose a super-low-carb fruit. Cantaloupes, coconuts, lemons, and plums are among the fruits with the lowest carb counts. All of these fruits have either 6 or 7 grams of carbs per 100-gram serving of fruit.
2. 
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   Select fruits with mid-range carb levels. Other fruits with slightly higher carb levels include watermelon, clementines, cherries, peaches, oranges, apples, pears, kiwis, and pineapples. These fruits have carb levels that range between 9 grams (peaches) to 12 grams (0.42 oz) (apples, pears, kiwis, and pineapples) per 100-gram serving of fruit.
3. 
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   Choose fruits with higher carb counts. Bananas have the highest carb count of any fruit, packing 20 grams (0.71 oz) of carbs per 100 grams of fruit. Grapes, likewise, are quite high in carbs, and contain 16 grams (0.56 oz) of carbs per 100 grams of fruit. Mangoes are another relatively high-carb fruit, and contain 13 grams (0.46 oz) of carbs per 100 grams of fruit.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Selecting Low-Carb Fruit Products

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   Use fruit preserves. Fruit preserves containing 100% fruit are a great way to get low-carb fruit into your diet. Most fruit preserves have a ton of added sugar, as this is what helps preserve the fruit and keep it from molding. Look specifically for preserves with no added sugar, as this will significantly lower the amount of sugars (and therefore carbs).
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   Avoid fruit juice. Fruit juices often contain sugar at rates equal to soda or other sweet drinks. Juice pressed from whole fruit as well as juice made from concentrate contains high levels of sugar (which means high levels of carbs), and is therefore not a good option if you want to choose low-carb fruits.

   • If you want to continue enjoying fruit-flavored beverages, squeeze a lime or lemon wedge in a glass of sparkling water for a fizzy, fruity treat.
   • Alternately, you could dilute a fruit juice by mixing an equal portion of water and fruit juice together. This will reduce the carb levels of the juice.
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   Avoid added sugar. More sugar means higher carb levels. Check the packaging of any canned, prepackaged, or dried fruit, and develop a preference for dried or canned fruits that are labeled “no added sugar” or some similar commitment.

   • Canned fruit packed in syrup has higher sugar levels than fresh fruit. Canned fruit packed in light syrup has less sugar than canned fruit packed in regular syrup, but still more than fresh fruit. The best canned fruit will be packed in water or 100% juice.
   • Dried fruits often contain added sugar, but not all dried fruits contain added sugar.
   • Prepackaged low-carb fruits are a great choice, but be sure that they do not have added sugar.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Choosing Fresh and Seasonal Fruit

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   Obtain fruits at peak season. Different low-carb fruits grow best at different times of the year. While today’s modern, globalized food system allows access to many foods year-round, low-carb fruits that are grown and obtained during peak season will taste better and be priced more affordably than they would be if grown and obtained during the off-season.

   • Use a peak-season map like the one at http://www.epicurious.com/archive/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/seasonalingredientmap to identify low-carb fruits that are at peak season in your area.
2. 
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   Feel low-carb fruits for freshness. Many low-carb fruits have certain telltale signs regarding their freshness that can only be evaluated through handling them. These signs indicate whether a low-carb fruit is ready for consumption, ripe, or rotten. For instance, when evaluating blueberries, feel them for firmness and ensure they are dry.

   • Learn to identify the feel of ripeness in low-carb fruits you are interested in, and before obtaining them, turn them over in your hands to ensure they are fresh.
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   Smell the low-carb fruits. Low-carb fruits tend to have a slightly sweet and aromatic smell if they are ready for consumption. Low-carb fruits that are rotten often have a foul stink to them.

   • For instance, if you smell an orange, you should be able to detect a distinct citrusy scent characteristic of an orange.
   • Learn to identify the correct scent of the low-carb fruit you are interested in and check for that scent before purchasing.
4. 
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   Look at the color. Low-carb fruits that are past their prime are often blotchy or discolored. Low-carb fruits that are ripe and ready to eat tend to have a consistent color. For instance, bananas are often greenish before they are ready to eat. When they are ripe, they are yellow. Once they go off, they are mushy and brown.

   • Color is not always an accurate indicator of whether you should choose a particular low-carb fruit. But many low-carb fruits — especially bananas, red berries, cherries, and apples — are good candidates for visual examination when trying to determine freshness.
   • Before purchasing a low-carb fruit, give it a once-over. If your low-carb fruit is packaged, turn the package around in your hands and look at the fruits or berries on the bottom. Do not buy low-carb fruits that do not appear fresh.
5. 
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   Buy frozen low-carb fruits. Frozen low-carb fruits stay good for much longer than fresh low-carb fruits. They are a great choice if you prefer to incorporate low-carb fruit into your diet in the form of smoothies or baked goods.

   • Frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are readily available commercially, and you can easily chop up and freeze banana slices in resealable containers that are perfect for making smoothies or topping your ice cream.
   • Frozen low-carb fruits do not have added sugar, so they are a great option for keeping carb counts low.
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Tips

• Compared with, say, a loaf of bread or a can of soda, all fruit contains low carbohydrate levels. Before seeking out low-carb fruits, ask yourself how low you want your carb levels to go.
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• If you’re choosing low-carb fruits as part of a low-carb diet, evaluate your options before committing to the diet. Research suggests that low-carb diets are generally ineffective at long-term weight loss, and might not meet the qualifications of a heart-healthy diet.

  • On the other hand, a diet that contains at least three servings of fruits per day, combined with exercise, is a proven way to lose weight.
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Warnings

• Temporary side effects of a low-carb diet include fatigue, weakness, headaches, bad breath, and constipation or diarrhea. Other potential complications include bone loss, nutrient deficiencies, and gastrointestinal problems.
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