Naturally occurring sugars, such as those in fresh fruits and vegetables, should account for most of your daily sugar intake. Fruits are naturally low in calories and fat, and play an important role in a healthy diet. The sugar and carbohydrate content per serving varies from fruit to fruit. If you're watching your sugar or carbohydrate intake, choose lower sugar fruits. These fruits also typically have fewer grams of carbohydrates.
Fruits With Lower Sugar and Carbohydrate Content
Avocados have only 3 g of carbohydrates per serving, including 1 g of dietary fiber, and 0 g of sugar, according to the FDA. These unusual fruits also have some fat --- about 4.5 g per serving, according to the FDA. Other low-sugar fruits include the lime, with 0 g of sugar and 7 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of dietary fiber, per serving; and the lemon, with 2 g of sugar and 5 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of dietary fiber, per serving. A serving of strawberries contains 11 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of dietary fiber and 8 g of sugar, while a serving of tangerine contains 13 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of dietary fiber and 9 g of sugar. A serving of pineapple contains 13 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of dietary fiber and 10 g of sugar.
High-Sugar Fruits
Some of the highest-sugar fruits include the apple, with 25 g of sugar per serving and 24 g of carbohydrates, including 5 g of dietary fiber, and the watermelon, with 21 g of carbohydrates, including 1 g of dietary fiber and 20 g of sugar per serving, according to the FDA. Grapes also contain 20 g of sugar per serving, as well as 23 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of dietary fiber. The banana has 19 g of sugar and 30 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of dietary fiber, per serving. Plums, pears and sweet cherries each have 16 g of sugar per serving, along with 19, 26 and 26 g of carbohydrates, respectively.
Health Benefits of Fruits
Fruits provide good sources of many important nutrients, including vitamin C, vitamin A, dietary fiber and potassium. People who maintain healthy diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables have reduced risks of many diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, according to the USDA. Fiber-rich, low-calorie foods such as fruits can provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories than more energy-dense foods, helping you to control your weight, according to MayoClinic.com. A diet rich in potassium-containing fruits and vegetables may help you slow bone loss and reduce your risk of developing kidney stones, according to the USDA. Potassium can also reduce the effect salt has on blood pressure, says the USDA.
Avoiding Added Sugars
Foods with naturally occurring sugars, such as fruits, typically have more nutrients than foods with added sugars, including processed foods, desserts, pastries, cakes, pies, cereals and refined breads. Women should restrict their added sugar intake to 100 calories or fewer per day, while men should restrict it to 150 calories or fewer per day, according to the American Heart Association. Check ingredients labels on packaged foods or canned fruits to find out if the products have added sugars. Ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, molasses, honey, dextrose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose and sucrose all indicate added sugars. A gram of sugar has about four calories, according to the AHA. To determine the number of calories from sugar in a packaged product, multiply the number of grams by four. For example, if a serving of cereal contains 15 g of sugar, it contains 60 calories from sugar, or 60 percent of a woman's daily limit for added sugar. Sugar calories from fruits do not count toward this limit, according to the AHA.
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