Fruit & the Fruit List

A fruit list can contain plenty of fruit but most of them can't be bought easily. Especially since each fruit has its own season! Fruit forms an essential part of a healthy diabetic diet but it need not be so complex.

There's a wide variety of seasonal fruits from the diabetic fruit list that contains the essential vitamins and minerals for diabetics, whether it's Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter!

So what will you find here - on the Fruit List page?

• A seasonal Fruit list (in a table) - with each fruits respective season.
• The best fruits for diabetics
• Some tips on how to incorporate the fruit list into your diet, regardless of the season
• And learn how to grow homegrown fruit without soil using hydroponics.

Diabetic Fruit list - Types of fruit beneficial for diabetics...

Black or green, it doesn't matter. The nutrients within the figs are highest when they are fresh.

Why Figs? Figs are rich in essential minerals. they are particularly high in potassium, calcium, and iron.

NOTE: Avoid dried figs! THIS ISN'T GOOD FOR YOUR BLOOD SUGAR! The sugars are concentrated in the fruit when dried so if you eat them, only eat a couple.

They may be messy to eat but the nutrients in them make it worthwhile.

Why pomegranates? They contain one of the richest combinations of antioxidants of all fruit and veg! These can protect you from free radicals and chronic diseases.

NOTE: Pomegranate fruit juice is wildly available but generally, comes concentrated. DO NOT BE TEMPTED. Concentrates are a diabetics worst nightmare!

Everyone loves a good apple. There are many varieties available to suit your taste. I have put the season for apples in "Autumn" in the fruit list.

Why apples? For one, they are cheap. Also, they are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You'll find more info on vitamins and minerals, essential for diabetics here.

Ultimately, the best fruit to eat are ones that are FRESH, LOCAL & IN SEASON. But that can be difficult to get especially if you live in an urban area!

Hard to believe? By using the principle of hydroponics, you can grow your own fruit and veg with very little space and without soil.

Forget about the need to garden. Learn how to create homegrown fruit without the hassle of soil. Just look at the beauty of the hydroponics lettuce below and note how little room it takes!

Image uploaded by BarnyardBBS on Flickr.com

Not only will you save money with your own hydroponics crops, you'll also know exactly where your food is coming from, giving you more control over the food you eat!

But don't just take my word for it!

The Diabetic Fruit List and Their Seasons:

This is a general fruit list of the most easily obtained fruits. If there are any fruits that you would like me to add to this fruit list contact me here.

Remember you CAN eat sweet fruits if you are diabetic. Just consider the following useful tips. Ultimately though, you should seek advice from your doctor/dietitian.

Some tips on using the Diabetic Fruit List to Your Advantage:

There's more than one way to have your 5-a-day. Fruits can be used in cooking, cereals, yogurts, smoothies and fruit juices to name a few. So here are some important points for diabetics to consider when eating fruits from any fruit list:

As with all fruit try to avoid the cheapest, own brand types found in supermarkets - even if they're fresh - as they tend to get sprayed with insecticides and pesticides which may still be present.

Try buying fresh fruit from your greengrocer with as little food miles as possible.

Food miles? What's that got to do with a diabetic fruit list?

'Food Miles' describes the distance a crop travels from the moment its picked (at its COO - Country of Origin) to the place we buy the crop.

Reducing your Food Miles is not just about climate change!

The shorter the food miles, the tastier the crop. I.E If you buy fresh fruit that was grown in your own country, it'll taste better than the same imported fruit, as crops deteriorate once they're picked.

Fruit is mainly imported because we demand fruit even it's not seasonal fruit from our own country (and also because its cheaper for the companies involved).

In other words for the healthiest, tastiest fruit, buy fresh fruit in season from the diabetic fruit list.

Can diabetics drink fresh fruit juice?

Fresh or not, when it comes to fruit juice there is one very important point to consider...

NEVER, EVER, EVER DRINK FRUIT JUICE OR EVEN SMOOTHIES PRODUCED FROM CONCENTRATE!

Concentrated juices are a diabetics worst nightmare!!!

Concentrates are basically diluted syrups of the fruit and are not natural! Drink these too often and your blood sugar will shoot through the roof!

Concentrated juices come in many forms and may even say that they are 100% PURE. All that means is that there is only one ingredient that just so happens to be produced from the evil concentrates!

Don't be fooled by fruit juice with added vitamins and minerals or juices that claim to be a part of your 5-a-day. If any of it is made from concentrate, don't touch it! It's not a natural product so it will heavily impact on your blood sugar levels.

How to increase the longevity of the fuit list

Don't forget to spread your fruit consumption (juices or otherwise) throughout the day. This will help your body absorb the essential diabetic nutrients in your diet and help stabalise your blood sugar levels as well.

You can also try diluting fruit juices with water. It'll last longer, hydrate your body and won't affect your sugar levels as much.

Ever tried mixing fruit from the fruit list with yogurt?

Sound strange? It shouldn't. Many yogurts are flavoured with different fruit but most of the time the sugar content is high and unnatural.

So here's a recipe suggestion... Buy a natural, low fat yogurt and mix in your favourite fruit juice or smoothie (7 parts yogurt : 3 parts juice). Not only will you'll naturally flavour the yogurt, it'll contribute to your 5-a-day and give you calcium from the yogurt.

Note: Generally, the lower the fat content of the yogurt, the higher the calcium content. For some more tips on making yogurt a part of your healthy diet, head to the Milk and Dairy page, here.

Still worried about using a diabetic fruit list in your diet?

Having diabetes should never stop your from eating fruit whether it's from a diabetic fruit list or not. As long as you eat/drink natural fruit with a meal or spread throughout the day, it will benefit your diet.

But if you're still concerned why not try eating fruit rather than drinking it. Most of the fruit in the diabetic fruit list can be eaten just as conveniently as drinking them.

The extra nutrients (from the skin, bits etc.) will reduce the pace that the natural sugars from the fruit enter your bloodstream and can help control your appetite.

Bare in mind that you should eat different types of fruit and veg for your 5 a day to count. The best way to do this is to eat different coloured fruit. Try to eat at least one type of berry per day.

Move on from the Fruit List to the Veg page.

Or Return from Fruit List to the Food Groups.

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