Must fruits, including cranberries, contain some carbohydrates. Cranberries contain naturally occurring sugars and provide a good source of dietary fiber, making them a healthier source of carbohydrates than processed foods with added sugars and few nutrients.
Carbohydrates Per Serving
A ½ cup serving of fresh cranberries contains only 20 calories and 6 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of dietary fiber and 2 g of sugar, according to the CDC. A 1-cup serving would contain 40 calories, 12 g of carbohydrates, 4 g of dietary fiber and 4 g of sugar. Your diet should include at least 14 g of dietary fiber for every 1,000 calories, says the CDC.
Comparison
One cup of sweet cherries contains 100 calories and 26 g of carbohydrates, more than double the amount found in 1 cup of cranberries. This serving of sweet cherries provides only 1 g of dietary fiber and contains 16 g of sugar, according to nutrition information provided by the FDA. A ¾ cup serving of grapes contains 90 calories and 23 g of carbohydrates, including 1 g of dietary fiber and 20 g of sugar.
Nutrients in Cranberries
A ½ cup serving of fresh cranberries provides 10 percent of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. A ½ cup serving of whole, frozen cranberries provides 0.12 mg of iron, 4 mg of calcium, 3 mg of magnesium, 40 mg of potassium, 28 IU of vitamin A, 6.3 mg of vitamin C and 0.57 mg of vitamin E, according to nutrition information provided by the USDA. Cranberries also contain proanthocyanidins, substances that can help prevent urinary tract infections by preventing the adherence of bacteria to the walls of the bladder, according to a Tufts University scientist cited in a 2008 Newsweek article, "The Cranberry UTI Cure."
Low-Carbohydrate Fruits
Fruits with low carbohydrate content include avocados, with only 3 g per serving and no sugar, limes, with 7 g per serving and no sugar, and lemons, with 5g per serving and only 2 g of sugar. Strawberries also have relatively low carbohydrate content, with only 11 g per serving, including 8 g of sugar.
Member Comments