At only 50 calories and zero grams of fat per serving, strawberries are a guilt-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Strawberries, like other fruits, are classified as carbohydrates because their calories come primarily from carbohydrates with only 4 calories per serving attributable to protein. Carbohydrates are made up of sugars, starches and/or fiber. Strawberries provide each of these three types of carbohydrates in various amounts.
Carbohydrate Facts
Starchy and fibrous carbohydrates are classified as complex because they are composed of three or more linked sugars and take longer for your body to break down. Sugars, on the other hand, are categorized as simple carbohydrates, which are composed of one or two linked sugars. Most of the calories provided by strawberries come from single or double sugars such as glucose and fructose; however, strawberries generally do provide a small amount of starch.
Starch Content
Eight medium strawberries -- roughly 147 g -- provide 11 g of carbohydrates, including 2 g of fiber and 8 g of sugar. This indicates that approximately 1 g of the carbohydrate content in a serving of strawberries is attributable to starch, which means starch accounts for less than 0.1 percent of carbohydrates in a typical serving. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories.
Nutritional Facts
One serving of strawberries provides more than 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, as well as 2 g of fiber and 1 g of protein. Although not a major source of starches, strawberries and other fruits are good sources of fiber and play a central role in a balanced diet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that adults consume 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit daily.
Considerations
Strawberries, like most fruits and vegetables, provide a relatively low number of calories per gram. Of the 144 g in 1 cup of strawberries, nearly 131 g come from water. The high water content of strawberries paired with the fiber content makes this sweet fruit diet-friendly, helping you feel full with fewer calories. Some fruits such as bananas and sweet cherries have a higher starch content than strawberries, but all fruits generally have a higher sugar than starch content.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Strawberries: Nutrition, Selection, Storage
- Harvard School of Public Health: Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way
- MedlinePlus; Carbohydrates; June 2011
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Nutrient Data Laboratory: Strawberries, Raw, 1 Cup, Whole
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Nutrition Information for Raw Fruits
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: How Much Fruit Is Needed Daily?
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