Fruits seem harmless when you first get started with a ketogenic diet.
After all:
- Fruits aren’t like refined sugars.
- Fruits have fibre.
- Fruits don’t spike your insulin as easily.
- And fruits can help you burn fat (berries).
But that doesn’t mean some fruits aren’t more sugary or detrimental or that some simply can’t knock you out of ketosis and spike your insulin.
Let’s talk about it.
Sources are taken from USDA and MyFoodData.
Non Keto Fruits to avoid:
1. Jackfruit
31.5g of sugar per cup. 38g of carbs as well. Much too high for the ketogenic lifestyle.
You may as well not bother at all since it’s not the kind of fruit or good you can portion control or discipline yourself with since it’s high in the wrong things, to begin with.
Stick to better fruits like strawberry or raspberry, especially the latter being the lowest in sugar.
2. Cherries
19.7g of sugar per cup. Cherries aren’t like berries. They’re sugary, sweet, have higher amounts of carbohydrates, and won’t work for those on the keto diet.
Too much temptation because of the sugary sweetness as well.
Portion control won’t be practical.
3. Banana
1 large banana has 30g of carbs, 16g of sugar. The contents will vary based on your country.
Either way, Bananas will set you back on the keto diet because the carb count is too high, the sugar by itself is high, and two of these will destroy your progress with more than just keto.
4. Litchis
28.9g of sugar per cup, making this too much sugar and carbs for the average ketogenic diet pursuer.
This fruit isn’t as abundant as others and will depend on your country, but either way, it’s to be avoided for optimal health, skin, and ketosis.
5. Dried Cranberries (not raw)
Dried cranberries have 29g of sugar, but regular cranberries have 4g of sugar per cup.
The latter isn’t bad at all and is recommended if you keep it strict and disciplined. But depending on where you are, check the sugar count and decide from there.
Make sure the cranberries are raw and not dried since the latter is NOT keto-friendly.
6. Apples
22g of sugar in a red apple, and other apple varieties have similar sugar content.
Apples do taste good, and you only need to eat one if you eat it at all. But it’s still not recommended for the ketogenic lifestyle.
7. Mangoes
22.5g of sugar, but dried mangoes are in the 50g sugar range. So it depends on what you go for.
Of course, you won’t go for it anyway if you’re on the ketogenic plan.
8. Passion Fruit
26.4g of sugar in a serving size. Meaning you’ll end up eating even more since they’re so small and so sweet.
I like the taste of passion fruit, or at least I did when I had it. Just don’t make a habit of eating it daily or weekly.
Use it as a treat when you’re a veteran of the keto lifestyle.
9. Pears
13.7g of sugar in a cup of pears, and any variation of pears has similar sugar counts ranging from 13g to 15g or so.
This is according to the USDA and other sources.
A cup isn’t very big, so it’s still too much sugar.
10. Pomegranate
There are almost 24g of sugar in a cup of pomegranates. So it’s clear why this is a non keto fruit and why you need to avoid it at all costs.
This is even if you’re a veteran of the ketogenic diet. Too much room for failure.
11. Grapes
Ripe grapes with leaf on a white background.
Red or green European grapes have over 23g of sugar in 1 cup. The American type has 15g in a cup (sugar).
Either way, you’re doing yourself no favours. That sweetness is the killer because it causes you to eat more than you should.
Even if you’re disciplined.
12. Tamarinds
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tamarind_n_5999376
The USDA says Tamarinds have over 46g of sugar in a single cup, so the carb count speaks for itself.
Eating just one serving of these fruits is overkill by far, and you’ll have major problems if you go further than that.
13. Kiwi (caution)
Kiwi is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, Kiwi has around 6g of sugar per fruit. Or 10g of carbs.
If you only eat one, that’s fine. If you have two, you’re pushing your luck. Any more than that, and you’re absolutely asking for it.
This goes for those who suffer from skin issues, not just those pursuing keto.
14. Raisins
Raisins have 16.9g of sugar per 50, says the USDA. And keep in mind: Raisins are small and are meant to be eaten in large quantities in a serving.
Also, keep in mind there are 20g of carbs in total. So no good for a keto diet as you’ll gorge on them (unless you hate them like I do).
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Fruits For Hidradenitis Suppurativa