Diabetics must closely follow recommended daily intake limits within each food group. The diabetes exchange system suggests that diabetics eat more servings of starches, vegetables and proteins each day than servings of fruits. Specific daily intake limits for fruit depend on your calorie needs and carbohydrate limits.
Daily Servings
Diabetics with higher-calorie diets need more servings of fruit per day than those with lower-calorie diets. If you follow a 1,200-calorie to 1,600-calorie diet, you should limit your fruit intake to two servings per day. Diabetics with 1,600-calorie to 2,000-calorie diets can eat three servings of fruit per day, and those with 2,000-calorie to 2,400-calorie diets can eat four servings per day.
Fresh Fruit Portion Sizes
To avoid exceeding your daily fruit limit, you need to know what counts as one serving of fruit. The diabetes exchange system provides lists of serving sizes for each food group, so that each food within a group provides the same number of calories and carbohydrates. A serving of any fruit should provide 60 calories and about 15 g of carbohydrates. One small apple, one extra-small banana, one kiwi, one small nectarine, one small orange, one medium peach, one cup of raspberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon or papaya, and half a pear or large grapefruit provide one serving of fruit each.
Dried Fruit and Fruit Juice Portion Sizes
Dried fruits and fruit juices contain more calories and carbohydrates for their volume than fresh fruits, which have high water content. Three prunes, 2 tablespoons of raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries or dried blueberries, and ½ cup apple juice, grapefruit juice, orange juice or pineapple juice provide one serving of fruit each.
Nutritional Value
Fruits provide many nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid and dietary fiber. Choose whole fruits rather than fruit juices whenever possible, because fruit juices typically contain little or no fiber. A serving of whole fruit will also fill you up more than a serving of energy-dense dried fruit or fruit juice. Avoid fruits canned in syrups or other added sugars.
