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What do you do about fruit?

AnnieEcowarrior

AnnieEcowarrior

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
I’m a new T2 not on medication and am using my trial libra 2 sensor to understand what happens to my BSs when I eat my normal vegan diet. I usually eat a lot of fruit but it’s the single thing that sends my numbers up as I’m not a cake/sweets eater.

I was hoping to control my diabetes without medication but not sure I can go without fruit. I’d be grateful for your thoughts.
 
AnnieEcowarrior said:
I’m a new T2 not on medication and am using my trial libra 2 sensor to understand what happens to my BSs when I eat my normal vegan diet. I usually eat a lot of fruit but it’s the single thing that sends my numbers up as I’m not a cake/sweets eater.

I was hoping to control my diabetes without medication but not sure I can go without fruit. I’d be grateful for your thoughts.
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Hi Annie
I'm a new T2 like yourself. Fruit is probably the thing I miss the most. I used to have a mango and a peach for breakfast.
Since taking the low carb route I have a very small amount of strawberries or raspberries with yoghurt (If you slice them while they are still a tiny bit frozen the bites stay quite substantial ) and I count 3 carbs for 50g. My other go to has been smallish apricots.I often have one after a meal and just nibble it like a peach, again I count 3 carbs for this. Everyone is different but my meter readings stay absolutely the same with these.
 
Hi @AnnieEcowarrior
We T2D's all react slightly differently even to the same foods, so although some fruit is very low carb (and some very high) it's best to use your BG meter in order to verify which work out best for you.

As a starting point take a look at
www.dietdoctor.com

Fruits and berries: The Best Fruits on a Keto Diet – Diet Doctor

What are the best and the worst fruits and berries to eat on a keto diet? Which fruits have the most carbs? Here’s the short version: most berries are OK keto foods in moderate amounts.
www.dietdoctor.com www.dietdoctor.com

Also what do you mean when you say fruit? Do you mean only things commonly eaten like fruit, or do you mean only actual fruit but including things treated as a vegetable?
Some actual fruits which are low carb depending upon ripeness are:
Berries (Blueberries are the highest carb - so probably to be avoided; Strawbs, Rasps, Blackberries, Gooseberries are lowest)
Redcurrants should be OK at (though not often listed) at 7gms carbs per 100gms - but not probably not Blackcurrants at around 15gms.
Other (technically) fruits: Cucumber, Courgette, Avocado, Tomato
Technically veg, but eaten as fruit: Rhubarb

The carbs in most fruit will raise BG slower when eaten with fat - so eat with full fat Greek yogurt, double cream, cheese etc.
 
I used to love fruit, and ate lots - it was "good for me" right? And I didn't eat other sweet stuff apart from very occasionally.

When diagnosed 2 years ago, and realising my mistake, going on the keto diet and putting my T2 into the non-diabetic range, I gave eating fruit up overnight. I was very sad about that, but hey! Life is full of hard decisions, and getting my BG into the normal range was a priority. There was plenty of other delicious food to eat, after all.

Now I am cautiously experimenting with Very Low Carb. There are fruits that I will never eat again that I used to love (mango, peach, melon, figs, dates etc.) but will be for ever on the "these don't exist" list for me but not for others - we all respond differently physically and mentally. You will need to find your own safe areas in your own time.

But in the last week, on separate days. I have had one alpine strawberry, and one raspberry. Interestingly (for I am not a character to stop at one anything) each was quite enough, and very enjoyable.

You will be navigating your own journey. We can support you so please use our different but all relevant experience. It isn't anything like as difficult as it looks.
 
A lot depends on what you set your daily carb intake at. If you aim for 20g/day then there will be very few fruits that you can make fit - occasional berries mainly.

If you go for (say) 100g/day you might have a bit more scope. The issue is that fruits are often high in fructose, so you'll be getting a large sugar hit from a comparatively small part of your diet. If you can limit the carb intake from the rest of your food you might be able to make it fit.

Your meter is the best guide as to how it's working. You may need to make a choice between lowering blood glucose and the fruit you like, though.
 
I have a portion of berries most days, usually raspberries as testing showed I was better with raspberries but I have gooseberries when in season.
I also eat fruit such as tomatoes and cucumber.
And I have rhubarb, a veg treated as a fruit, in fake crumble made with ground almonds instead of flour.

So mainly berries in Greek yogurt or more sour fruit in crumbles with a sweetener such as xylitol.

Edit: I didn't realise you are a vegan - check the carbs in vegan yogurts and see if they are OK.
 
TriciaWs said:
I have a portion of berries most days, usually raspberries as testing showed I was better with raspberries but I have gooseberries when in season.
I also eat fruit such as tomatoes and cucumber.
And I have rhubarb, a veg treated as a fruit, in fake crumble made with ground almonds instead of flour.

So mainly berries in Greek yogurt or more sour fruit in crumbles with a sweetener such as xylitol.

Edit: I didn't realise you are a vegan - check the carbs in vegan yogurts and see if they are OK.
Click to expand...
Xylitol is a no no for me as it spikes my BG where as Erythritol doesn’t. Also xylitol is poisonous to dogs so be extra careful that you don’t spill any where they might lick it up!
 
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