Which fruits spike your insulin?

Some commonly eaten fresh fruits may raise your blood sugar more quickly than others. These include figs, grapes, mangos, cherries and bananas. Eat them in moderation and in the suggested serving size of one small fruit or 1/2 cup.

healthyeating.sfgate.com - Fruits That Raise Blood Sugar - Healthy Eating | SF Gate

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Your body transforms the food you eat into fuel that helps it run smoothly. Its preferred fuel is glucose, a type of sugar that comes primarily from carbohydrates. Over time, too much sugar in the diet can trigger health problems, so it’s best to limit your sugar to natural sources like fruits, which also provide vitamin C and a wealth of other nutrients. Some fruits can raise blood sugar very quickly, however, and others have a more gradual effect.

Blood Sugar Levels

Processed foods with lots of added sugars – sodas, candy, desserts and baked goods – have the most immediate impact on your blood sugar levels. But even on what seems like a healthy diet, some of your food and beverage choices may negatively affect your blood sugar levels, causing them to peak and crash. When this happens, you might feel a brief burst of energy – a sugar rush – followed by a low point where you become tired and need to refuel. Keeping blood sugar levels on an even keel is key to overall good health, even if you aren’t diabetic or prediabetic. A balanced diet of regular meals that include some protein, carbs and fat helps you stay on track and avoid blood sugar levels that swing between being too high and too low.

Dried Fruits

Packed with minerals like iron and health-promoting phytonutrients, dried fruits are a smart addition to your diet. Because all the water is removed from them though, these fruits are concentrated bites of natural sugar. Pay attention to portion size when choosing dried fruits. A small box of raisins (1 ounce) looks like a modest serving that's super-convenient to bring with you to work, but it contains 20 grams of sugar. Apricots, currants and pineapple are other commonly dried fruits that may elevate your blood sugar. Another issue with dried fruits is that manufacturers may add sugar to an already high-sugar food; this is especially common with cereals containing raisins. Even in the bulk section of the supermarket, some dried fruits like blueberries or cranberries may have a fruit-juice sweetener. Check the ingredients list on the packaging to make sure your dried fruit is free of added sugar.

Canned Fruits

Canned fruits may be convenient because you can enjoy peaches at any time of the year, but those canned in syrup are notoriously high in sugar. Fruit cocktail may seem like a healthful, refreshing end to a meal, but brands packed in syrup contain 44 grams of sugar in a 1-cup serving. That’s more sugar than in a can of soda. When choosing canned fruit, look for brands packed in water. Better yet, help yourself to 1/2 cup of fresh berries – or a frozen variety without added sugar – for your dessert.

Fruit-Based Beverages

Fruit juices don’t have the benefit of fiber that fresh fruits provide. Fiber is an indigestible form of carbohydrate that slows the digestive process and helps keep your blood sugar steady. Without the fiber, fruit beverages turn to glucose quickly in your bloodstream. Like dried fruits, some brands may also have sugar added for flavor and to preserve them on the supermarket shelves. As a better option than a glass of orange juice, have fresh orange sections with your meal.

Other High-Sugar Fruits

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What veggies should not be refrigerated?

Here are all of the vegetables that don't require refrigeration before eating: Garlic scapes. Garlic. Onions. Potatoes. Tomatoes. Winter squash: acorn, butternut, delicata, and kabocha. Fresh herbs: parsley, mint, and basil*

blog.misfitsmarket.com - Fruits and Veggies That Don't Need to Be Refrigerated - Misfits Market Blog

While most fruits and veggies fare fine in the refrigerator, there are a number that don’t need to be stored in the fridge at all.

Vegetables

Cold temps can cause some produce to lose flavor and become mealy (tomatoes and stone fruit, below), while other vegetables shouldn’t be stored in the fridge ever (shallots, onions, garlic). Very soft avocados could be stored in the fridge to make them last a few days longer, but cold temps could affect flavor. Thick-skinned squash and hardy roots like potatoes are totally fine on the countertop for weeks—sometimes months!—at a time, as long as they’re kept out of direct sunlight. A cool, dark place is best. (But not so cold as to keep them in the fridge.)

Here are all of the vegetables that don’t require refrigeration before eating:

Garlic scapes

Garlic

Onions

Potatoes

Tomatoes

Winter squash: acorn, butternut, delicata, and kabocha

Fresh herbs: parsley, mint, and basil*

*Store in a jar of water like a bouquet of flowers

Fruit

Though most fruits fare fine in the fridge (mangoes, apples, ginger), many fruits do better when stored outside of the fridge, whether on the counter or stored in a pantry. When stored at room temp, some fruits tend to be softer and juicier—and more enjoyable—like melons, stone fruits, and mangoes. Other fruits loose their crisp texture faster in the fridge, like apples and pears. While they can be stored in the fridge if you enjoy chilled fruit, they’re totally OK to hang out on the counter, too. Here are all of the fruits that don’t need to be stored in the refrigerator before eating:

Citrus

Ginger

Apricots

Apples

Pears

Plums

Avocados

Kiwis

Mangoes

Nectarines

Peaches

Persimmons

Related: The Ultimate Fresh Produce Storage Guide

Farmers’ Almanac

Bon Appétit

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