Strawberries are low in calories, low in sugar and are a source of fiber. The sweetness in strawberries comes from the sugars fructose, sucrose and glucose. The natural sugars in strawberries will not adversely affect your blood sugars because they contain mostly fructose and fiber so anyone can enjoy a serving of strawberries, including diabetics. Strawberries can help meet some of your nutritional requirements -- they contain vitamin C, folate and potassium. Strawberries can do more for your health, as they are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants ellagic acid, anthocyanins and quercetin.
Fresh Strawberries
A serving of strawberries is approximately 1 cup, which is about eight medium-size fresh strawberries. A 1-cup serving of fresh strawberries, whole or sliced, has about 7 to 8 g of total sugars and 3 g of dietary fiber. A serving fresh strawberries is the right amount for a fruit smoothie, makes a nutritious topping on strawberry whole-wheat shortcake, and adds new flavor to a fresh fruit salad or bowl of whole-grain cereal.
Frozen Unsweetened Strawberries
Strawberries are flash-frozen at their peak of ripeness to preserve the vitamins, minerals and natural sweetness. When they are not in season, use frozen strawberries to benefit from the same nutritional and health benefits as fresh strawberries. A serving of frozen strawberries is the same as fresh. One cup of frozen strawberries has about 7 g of total sugars and 3 g of dietary fiber. You can use 1 cup of frozen strawberries to make low-fat milkshakes or strawberry smoothies. You can also use frozen strawberries to make homemade ice cream.
Frozen Sweetened Strawberries
You might see the word "sweetened" on a frozen package of strawberries but that does not mean natural sweetness. This means sugar has been added to the flash-frozen process to make the strawberries sweeter. Using the same serving size as before, 1 cup of frozen sweetened strawberries has 48 g of total sugars and 5 g of dietary fiber. That is about seven times more sugar than in 1 cup of fresh or unsweetened frozen strawberries. Even 1/4 cup has twice the sugar as fresh -- about 15 g. Fresh or unsweetened frozen strawberries are a healthier choice. If you prefer to use frozen sweetened strawberries, add them to unsweetened foods, such as unsweetened cereal.
Canned Strawberries
Canned strawberries are packed whole, often in heavy sugar syrup. Canned strawberries are typically used in commercial bakeries to make strawberry pies and strawberry fillings for pastries. Go easy on these commercial baked goods. While they still have the same vitamins and minerals, they contain more sugar than is healthy. One cup of canned strawberries has about 55 g of total sugars and 4 g of dietary fiber. Some of your own recipes may list canned strawberries and sugar as ingredients for pies or cakes. Reduce the amount of sugar the recipe calls for, as you will get more than enough sugar from the canned strawberries. If possible, choose strawberries canned in light syrup, which have less added sugar.
References
- American Dietetic Association; What's in a Strawberry?; Lona F. Sandon; June 2010
- American Diabetes Association: Fruits
- American Diabetes Association: Strawberries Frozen, Sweetened Sliced
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Strawberries
- Fruits & Veggies More Matters: About the Buzz: Frozen and Canned Fruits and Vegetables vs. Fresh
- American Diabetes Association: Strawberries Frozen, Sweetened Sliced
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