Low Glycemic Index Fruits

Key Takeaways

A fruit is considered low glycemic index (low GI) when its score is 55 or less on the 0-to-100 scale.

Cherries, grapefruit, berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries), apples, pears, plums, peaches, kiwi, and most citrus all qualify.

Glycemic load (GL) — the GI multiplied by grams of carbohydrate per serving and divided by 100 — is usually more useful than GI alone because it accounts for typical portion size.

Ripeness, juicing, drying, and cooking all raise GI; whole, raw, just-ripe fruit is nearly always the lowest-impact form.

Pair fruit with protein, fat, or fiber (Greek yogurt, nut butter, cottage cheese, nuts) to further smooth the glucose response.

Low glycemic index fruits are those with a GI of 55 or less on the 0-to-100 scale. Cherries, berries, apples, pears, plums, peaches, kiwi, and most citrus all qualify. Eaten whole, raw, and at normal portion sizes, they raise blood sugar slowly and belong in nearly every diabetes-friendly meal pattern.

The Full Low-GI Fruit Reference Table

Values below are from the 2021 international GI tables. Individual produce varies by variety, ripeness, and growing conditions — consider these averages, not absolutes.

Fruit	Typical GI	Grams Carbs per Serving	Glycemic Load (GL)	Serving Size
Cherries (fresh)	20	17	3	1 cup
Grapefruit	25	13	3	1/2 medium
Blackberries	25	14	4	1 cup
Raspberries	32	15	5	1 cup
Strawberries	40	11	4	1 cup
Apple (with skin)	36	21	8	1 medium
Pear	38	24	9	1 medium
Plum	40	16	6	2 small
Peach (fresh)	42	15	6	1 medium
Apricot (fresh)	34	12	4	3 small
Orange	43	15	6	1 medium
Clementine / mandarin	47	9	4	1 medium
Kiwi (green)	52	14	7	2 small
Blueberries	53	16	9	3/4 cup
Banana (firm, yellow-green)	42	27	11	1 medium
Banana (ripe, spots)	62	27	17	1 medium
Mango	51	28	14	1 cup
Papaya	60	16	10	1 cup

Understanding GI vs GL

Glycemic index measures the speed of glucose rise; glycemic load accounts for how much you actually eat. GL = (GI × grams of carbs) ÷ 100. Categories:

Low GL: 10 or less per serving
Medium GL: 11 to 19
High GL: 20 or more

Watermelon has high GI but low GL at one cup. A ripe banana has moderate GI but medium GL because of its larger carb load. Both numbers tell you something — use them together. For the underlying math, see our reference on the glucose equation.

How Ripeness Changes the Numbers

As fruit ripens, enzymes break resistant starches into simple sugars. That is why the same banana can score 30 one day and 62 a few days later.

Fruit	Unripe / Just Ripe GI	Fully Ripe / Overripe GI
Banana	30 to 42	51 to 62
Mango	45	55 to 60
Papaya	50	65
Pear	38	42

Practical tip: choose fruit that is ripe enough to be palatable but still slightly firm.

Processing Always Raises the Number

Juicing removes fiber; even 100% fruit juice is absorbed much faster than whole fruit.
Drying removes water and concentrates sugar — raisins score 64, dates 42 to 55, with GL in the double digits per small handful.
Canning in syrup adds sucrose on top of the fruit’s own sugar.
Smoothies function like juice once the fiber is fully pureed.
Cooking breaks down cell walls; apple sauce has a higher GI than a raw apple.

Whole, raw fruit in normal portions is the lowest-impact form.

How to Pair Fruit to Flatten the Curve

Greek yogurt + berries — protein slows the glucose rise
Apple slices + nut butter — fat and protein extend digestion
Cottage cheese + peach — same principle
Pear + a handful of walnuts — satiety and healthy fat
Cherries + small piece of cheese — portable, balanced

Eating fruit alone at a large portion produces the steepest spike; pairing is nearly always better.

High GI Fruits to Use Carefully

Pineapple (GI 66) — cap at 1/2 cup
Watermelon (GI 72) — fine at 1 cup; problematic at 2+ cups
Ripe banana (GI 62)
Dates (GI 42 to 55; high GL due to concentrated sugar) — 2 to 3 at most
Dried fruit generally
Fruit-juice concentrates

Fruit and Diabetes Risk

Large prospective studies — the Nurses’ Health Study, Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and EPIC-InterAct — consistently find that higher whole-fruit intake is associated with lower type 2 diabetes risk. Fruit juice is associated with higher risk. The ADA encourages whole fruit as part of a balanced diabetes meal plan. See our diet and nutrition hub and the companion low glycemic fruit overview.

Sample One-Day Low-GI Fruit Plan

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with 3/4 cup blueberries and 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Mid-morning: 1 medium apple with 1 tablespoon almond butter
Lunch: Mixed salad; dessert = 1 cup strawberries with ricotta
Afternoon: 2 plums + a small handful of walnuts
Dinner: Protein + vegetables; dessert = 1/2 cup cherries + a piece of dark chocolate

This pattern delivers 5 to 6 fruit servings and stays within a moderate carb load.

The Bottom Line

A fruit counts as low glycemic when its GI is 55 or less. Berries, cherries, apples, pears, plums, peaches, and most citrus reliably qualify. Ripeness, processing, and portion size matter at least as much as the raw GI number. Choose whole, raw, just-ripe fruit; pair it with a protein or fat source; and use glycemic load to compare real-world impact. Do not cut fruit out of your diet — the research is unambiguous that whole fruit helps rather than harms long-term glucose control.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which fruit has the lowest glycemic index?

Cherries top the list with a GI around 20, followed by grapefruit at 25 and blackberries at 25. Raspberries, strawberries, and plums all fall in the 25 to 40 range. These are reliable everyday choices for people managing prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or insulin resistance who want minimal glucose impact per serving.

Are bananas low glycemic?

It depends on ripeness. A firm, slightly green banana has a GI around 30 to 42 (low). A ripe banana with brown spots climbs to 51 to 62 (medium to high). The same banana can produce very different glucose responses three days apart. Buy bananas when they are still firm and use them before they turn fully yellow.

Is watermelon low glycemic?

Watermelon is a deceptive case. Its GI is high (around 72), but one cup contains only about 11 g of carbs, so the glycemic load is only 7 — low. Watermelon is fine in one-cup servings but becomes problematic in a large fruit-salad-sized portion. Glycemic load is the more useful number for watermelon.

Can fruit juice count as a low-GI option?

Generally no. Even 100% fruit juice has a higher GI than whole fruit because the fiber matrix is gone, the sugar is concentrated, and liquid is absorbed faster than food that has to be chewed. Orange juice has a GI of about 50 (borderline low) but delivers the carbs without the satiety of a whole orange. If you like juice, keep portions to 4 ounces and pair with protein or fat.

Sources

Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, et al. International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values 2021. Diabetes Care 44(7):1625-1633.

American Diabetes Association. Fruit and Diabetes. https://diabetes.org/food-nutrition/reading-food-labels/fruit

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/carbohydrates-and-blood-sugar/