Going onto a Keto diet can be intimidating, especially when it comes to fruit. Most diets endorse fruit as a healthy, vitamin filled snack, but a keto diet is slightly different, you want to avoid carbs as much as possible, sugar more so than anything. The sugars, and carbs, in some food raises your blood sugar levels enough to release insulin, which stops your ketosis in its tracks. If you’re just starting on a keto diet you may be finding it difficult to reach the optimal ketosis zone because you’re eating too many hidden sugars and carbs.
Some fruits have a lot of sugar and carbs in them. Fruits are naturally sweet because of their high sugar contents. This natural sugar is called fructose and some fruits have a lot of it. Fructose gets absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, but luckily it has a slightly lower effect on your blood sugar levels than glucose. Unfortunately, some fruits are high in carbohydrates as well. Carbohydrates break down into glucose, and the rate of absorption of fructose increases when combined with glucose. But luckily not all fruits are high enough in sugar and carbs to do this.
A general rule of thumb is the less sweet it is the less it will affect your blood sugar. Then there are also some fruits that have a surprisingly low carb and sugar level compared to their sweetness, which is where things get really confusing.
Luckily this post is here to help dispel any doubts.
Keto Friendly Fruits
Per 100g:
- Raspberries have 12g of carbs, of which 4,4g are sugars and 7g fiber.
- Blackberries have 10g of carbs, of which 4,9g are sugars and 5g fiber.
- Charentais Melons have 6g of carbs, of which 5g are sugars and 1g fiber.
- Limes have 11g of carbs, of which 1,7g are sugars and 2,8g fiber.
- Lemons have 9g of carbs, of which 2,5g are sugars and 2,8g fiber.
- Avocados have 9g of carbs, of which 0,7g are sugars and 7g fiber.
- Starfruit have 7g of carbs, of which 4g are sugars and 2,8g fiber.
- Coconut Meat has 15g carbs, of which 6g is sugar and 9g fiber.
- Olives have 6,3g carbs, of which 0g is sugar and 3,2g fiber.
- Cherry Tomatoes have 3,92g carbs, of which 2,63 are sugars and 1,2g fiber.
High Carb Fruits to Avoid
Per 100g:
- Bananas have 23g carbs, 12g of which are sugars and 2,6g fiber.
- Plantains have 32g carbs, 15g of which are sugars and only 2,6g fiber.
- Kiwis have 15g carbs, 9g of which are sugars and 3g fiber.
- Grapes have 17g on average, 16g of which are sugar and only 0,9g fiber.
- Raisins have 79g carbs, 59g of which are sugar and 3,7g fiber.
- Dates have 75g carbs, 66,5g of which are sugar and 6,7g fiber
- Mangos have 15g carbs, 14g of which are sugar and 1,6g fiber.
- Pears have 15,5g carbs, 9,5g of which are sugar and 3,5g fiber.
- Pomegranates have 19g carbs, 14g of which are sugar and 4g fiber.
- Passionfruit have 23g carbs, 11g of which are sugar and 10g fiber.
- Lychees have 17g carbs, 15g of which are sugar and only 1,3g fiber.
- Papayas have 15,7g carbs, 11,3g of which are sugar and 2,5g fiber.
- Persimmons have 33,5g carbs, 22g of which are sugar and 7g fiber.
Complete Keto Fruit List (Sorted from the Lowest Carb Fruit)
Here we’ve put together a handy table you can use to see which fruits are keto friendly and how keto friendly they are. Amounts are grams per 100g (or percentage) of the fruit.
- The Green Section: Completely keto friendly. Stil monitor portion sizes, in general the rules are much less strict here.
- The Yellow Section: You can consume these relatively regularly, portion sizes are very important.
- The Orange Section: You can consume these in small quantities every now and again. Portion sizes are VERY important here.
- The Red Section: Avoid completely.
In the all of the sections you’ll see individual blocks of different colors. These are warnings or pointers whether these fruits have higher or lower counts than the standard for that section.
Take a look at the total carb and dietary fiber columns. For example, passion fruit has a high carb content, but quite a high fiber content too. The reason that it is on the red list is because the sugar content is quite high, but half a passionfruit’s pulp is only 9g in total, which will give you a total of 1,5g sugar, which isn’t the worst thing. The biggest thing to remember is portion size.
| Fruit | Total Carbs | Sugar | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Tomatoes | 3.92 | 2.63 | 1.2 |
| Avocados | 9 | 0.7 | 7 |
| Charentais Melon | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Olives | 6.3 | 0 | 3.2 |
| Starfruit | 7 | 4 | 2.8 |
| Coconut Meat | 15 | 6 | 9 |
| Crenshaw Melon | 6.5 | 5.3 | 0.5 |
| Canary Melon | 7 | 6 | - |
| Hami Melon | 7.9 | 6.7 | 1.1 |
| Horned Melon | 8 | 0 | 2.5 |
| Strawberries | 8 | 4.9 | 2 |
| Watermelon | 8 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Grapefruit (White) | 8 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Korean Melon | 7.4 | 7.15 | 0.8 |
| Cantaloupe | 8 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Lemons | 9 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Honeydew Melon | 9 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Sprite Melon | 9.5 | 9 | 0.3 |
| Blackberries | 10 | 4.9 | 5 |
| Peaches | 10 | 8 | 1.5 |
| Limes | 11 | 1.7 | 2.8 |
| Grapefruit | 11 | 7 | 1.6 |
| (pink and red) | |||
| Nectarines | 11 | 8 | 1.7 |
| Apricots | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| Plums | 11 | 10 | 1.4 |
| Oranges | 11.8 | 9.4 | 2.4 |
| Raspberries | 12 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Cherries | 12 | 8 | 1.6 |
| Clementines | 12 | 9 | 1.7 |
| Cranberries (fresh) | 12.2 | 4 | 4.6 |
| Dragon Fruit | 13 | 8 | 3 |
| Pineapples | 13 | 10 | 1.4 |
| Tangerines | 13 | 11 | 1.8 |
| Santa Claus Melon | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| Guavas | 14 | 9 | 5 |
| Apples | 14 | 10 | 2.4 |
| Blueberries | 14 | 10 | 2.4 |
| Kiwis | 15 | 9 | 3 |
| Mangos | 15 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Pears | 15.5 | 9.5 | 3.5 |
| Papayas | 15.7 | 11.3 | 2.5 |
| Lychees | 17 | 15 | 1.3 |
| Grapes | 17 | 16 | 0.9 |
| Pomegranates | 19 | 14 | 4 |
| Passion Fruit | 23 | 11 | 10 |
| Bananas | 23 | 12 | 2.6 |
| Plantains | 32 | 15 | 2.3 |
| Persimmons | 33.5 | 22 | 7 |
| Dates | 75 | 66.5 | 6.7 |
| Goji Berries (dried) | 77 | 46 | 13 |
| Raisins | 79 | 59 | 3.7 |
Are Bananas Keto Friendly?
No…
While bananas have long been known as one of the best fruits for athletes because of their high potassium content, they also have a very high carb content. Each 100g banana has 23g carbs, 12g of which are sugars. So, unfortunately bananas are definitely not a part of the keto diet. If you are used to eating bananas and you’re scared you may suffer from cramps try some cultured yoghurt, spinach, horned melon and avocado in your diet, all of which are high in potassium and magnesium. Even the cooking version of bananas, often called plantains, have a high carb count. They may have a lot of sugar in them (15g per 100g), but the real problem is their carb count, which is an astonishing 32g per 100g.
Are Berries Keto Friendly?
Some…
Berries as a group of fruits are difficult to place in or out of a keto diet. Some berries are very high in carbs, others are actually not bad when consumed in moderation. For this, let’s look at some specific berries:
- Are Blueberries Keto Friendly?
Not Really… Blueberries have the highest carb content out of all the most common berries. Every 100g of blueberries has 14g carbs, 10g of which are sugars. It’s best to stay away from blueberries when you’re on a keto diet and replace them with berries that have a lower carb count.
- Are Blackberries Keto Friendly?
In Moderation… Blackberries are some of the best berries to use on a keto diet. They have 10g of carbs per 100g, only 4.9g of which is sugar. 5g of the remaining carbs are dietary fiber, which means that these vitamin packed berries won’t raise your blood sugar levels enough to make you fall out of the optimal keto zone, provided you don’t eat too much of them at a time. For a keto diet don’t exceed ⅓ of a cup of blackberries per serving. That will give you about 5g of carbs, half of which is sugar.
- Are Raspberries Keto Friendly?
In Moderation… Raspberries have 12g of carbs per 100g, but only 4,4g of that is sugar. 7g of the carbs found in these delicious little red berries are dietary fiber, making this berry a surprisingly healthy option on a keto diet. They are great served with full fat yoghurt. As with blackberries, keep to small portion sizes to ensure the carbs that are in raspberries don’t accidentally increase your blood sugar levels too much.
- Are Cherries Keto Friendly?
Not Really… Of the 12g of carbohydrates found in 100g of cherries a whopping 8g is sugar. As with blueberries, it’s better to stay away from these, but if you have one or two on your low carb dessert it won’t necessarily throw you out of ketosis completely, provided that the rest of the dessert isn’t pushing the carb limits.
- Are Goji Berries Keto Friendly?
No… Goji berries are usually found dried, which makes their carb value extremely high. It’s 77g per 100g! Of that 46g are sugars. It’s best to stay away from Goji berries while you’re on a keto diet, despite the claimed health benefits they have.
- Are Cranberries Keto Friendly?
In Moderation… Fresh cranberries have 12,2g of carbs per 100g, 4g of this is sugar, while 4,6g is dietary fiber. The sugar and high starch content of cranberries can mean that they are more likely to raise your blood sugar levels, so take care not to consume too many in one serving. Also be careful not to mistake these values for the dried version. 100g of dried cranberries have 82g carbs per 100g, 65g of which is sugar with only 6g dietary fiber.
- Are Strawberries Keto Friendly?
Relatively… Strawberries are low in carbs, with only 8g per 100g. Of this 4,9g is sugar, with 2g dietary fiber. There is a slightly higher starch content than most other berries, at 1,1g per 100g. This might not be enough to make your blood sugar levels spike on its own, but it can be enough to make the sugar absorb faster, which could have negative effects if you eat too many in one meal.
Other Medium Carb Fruits
Per 100g:
- Plums have 11g carbs, 10g of which are sugar and only 1,4g fiber.
- Clementines have 12g carbs, 9g of which are sugar and 1,7g fiber.
- Apricots have 11g carbs, 9g of which are sugar and 2g fiber.
- Pineapples have 13g carbs, 10g of which are sugar and only 1,4g fiber.
- Peaches have 10g carbs, 8g of which are sugar and1,5g fiber.
- Nectarines have 11g carbs, 8g of which are sugar and 1,7g fiber.
- Dragon Fruit have 13g carbs, 8g of which are sugar and 3g fiber.
- Guavas have 14g carbs, 9g of which are sugar and 5g fiber.
Are Melons Keto Friendly?
Some…
Melons is quite a wide category of fruit and it’s difficult to say that yes, melons are allowed on a keto diet, or no they aren’t, because some melons have surprisingly little carbs, while others have quite a bit of carbs, so let’s take a look at the melons individually:
- Is Watermelon Keto Friendly?
Relatively. Watermelon is one of the fruits with the least carbs per 100g, only 8g! The sugar content is quite high though, with 6g per 100g and only 0,4g fiber, so eating too much watermelon at once can still spike your blood sugar a bit. It’s best to keep your portion sizes small, ⅔ of a cup of diced watermelon will give you about 100g, 6g of sugar, which is ok for a single serving.
- Is Cantaloupe Keto Friendly?
In Moderation… Cantaloupe, like watermelon, has only 8g of carbs per 100g, but unlike watermelon, all these carbs are sugars. So, you have to be very careful with portion sizes when eating cantaloupe. ⅓ of a cup of diced cantaloupe will give you about 52g, 4,16g of which is sugar. You can push it up to about half a cup, with 6,24g of sugar, but that is the absolute limit if you want to stay in ketosis.
- Is Horned Melon Keto Friendly?
Relatively… Horned melons are originally from Africa. They have a total of 8g carbs per 100g, none of which are sugars (according to three separate websites). So, while this may be pushing the boundaries of fruit, as it is more tart than sweet, this melon is the best fruit to eat on a keto diet. One whole fruit contain an average of 16g carbohydrates which are released slowly and won’t spike your blood sugar. It is also very rich in magnesium, which will help you to stay hydrated and prevent cramps.
- Is Crenshaw Melon Keto Friendly?
Relatively… 100g of crenshaw melon will give you 6,5g of carbs, 5,3g of which are sugars, making it a relatively healthy and keto friendly snack. While the sugar content is relatively low compared to most other fruits, it’s still necessary to keep your portion sizes in check. No more than a ¾ cup of diced crenshaw melon per serving, or you will be eating enough sugar to take you out of ketosis.
- Is Honeydew Melon Keto Friendly?
In Moderation… Honeydew melons are quite high in sugar. Each 100g has only 9g carbs, but a whole 8g of this is sugar. It’s best to limit your intake of honeydew melon to about ⅓ of a cup of diced melon which will give you around 5g of carbs, 4g of which is sugar. The honeydew melon falls into the category of fruits that you can have occasionally, but it’s better not to make them a part of your normal keto diet.
- Is Sprite Melon Keto Friendly?
Not Really… Sprite melons are some of the sweetest melons around. Per 100g they have 9,5g carbs, 9g of which are sugar. While it’s best to avoid these melons on your keto diet you, if you do happen to have some, limit your intake to less than ⅓ of a cup of diced melon. Any more than this and you run the risk of spiking your blood sugar levels and falling out of ketosis.
- Is Korean Melon Keto Friendly?
Not Really… Korean melons are small, but have quite a high sugar content despite their size. Each 100g of this melon will give you about 7,4g carbs, 7,15g of which is sugar. While they aren’t as rich in sugar as sprite melons, they still fall in the range that’s better to avoid, but can still be eaten in small amounts. You should have no more than ½ a cup of diced Korean melon per serving. This will give you about 5,7g carbs, 5,6g of which is sugar.
- Is Canary Melon Keto Friendly?
Relatively… Canary melons have 7g carbs per 100g of fruit. Of this, 6g is sugar. That means this melon falls in the okay to eat in small amounts range of fruits. It’s about the same as watermelon, with just a little less total carbs. So, you can make it a part of your normal keto diet, provided that you make the portions small, about ⅓ of a cup of diced melon is equal to 50g, so anywhere between ⅓-⅔ of a cup is the recommended amount per serving.
- Is Charentais Melon Keto Friendly?
Yes… Charentais melons are rather low in carbs, with 6g per 100g, of which 5g is sugar. This makes them the perfect melon to add to your keto diet. The serving size for this melon is about ½-⅔ of a cup of diced melon, which will give about 4,5g-6g of carbs per serving.
- Is Hami Melon Keto Friendly?
Relatively… This is a medium carb melon and shouldn’t be eaten regularly, but can be added to your keto diet from time to time, provided that you keep an eye on your portion sizes. Each 100g has 7,9g carbs per of which 6,7g is sugar. Portions should be limited to no more than ½ a cup of diced melon, giving you 7g carbs and 6g sugar.
- Is Santa Claus Melon Keto Friendly?
No, Not Really… Santa Claus melons are closely related to canary melons, but they have a much higher carb count, and make the list of fruits that should rather be avoided. They have 13g of carbs per 100g, up to 12g of which is sugar. Their low dietary fiber count makes it more likely that they will cause your blood sugar to spike. Eat no more than ⅓ of a cup of diced Santa Claus melon at a tim
Are Citrus Keto Friendly?
- Are Oranges Keto Friendly?
Not Really… Oranges are quite high in carbs and sugar and should rather be avoided, but a small portion shouldn’t be enough to throw you out of ketosis completely, provided that the rest of the meal contains few to no carbs or sugar. Each 100g of orange contains 11,8g carbs, 9,4g of which is sugar. Portion sizes for oranges should be limited to less than 50g.
- Are Tangerines Keto Friendly?
No, Not Really… Tangerines have quite a high carb content, higher than oranges, putting them on the list of fruits that are better avoided, but can be eaten in small amounts. They have 13g of carbs per 100, 11g of which are sugar, making it a relatively high sugar content. When eating tangerines be very careful about your portion sizes and try to eat another fruit with a lower sugar content. Keep portion sizes to less than 40g.
- Are Limes Keto Friendly?
Yes, Relatively… Limes have quite a high carb content despite their sour taste. Every 100g of whole lime contains 11g of carbs, but only 1,7g of this is sugar, so they are unlikely to spike your blood sugar levels dramatically. That being said, portion sizes should still be limited to less than 80g per serving, which will give 8g of carbs.
- Are Grapefruit Keto Friendly?
Not Really… Pink or red grapefruit are only slightly better than oranges. They contain 11g of carbs per 100g, 7g of which are sugar. On the other hand, white grapefruit contain only 8g of carbs, but they have the same amount of sugar as the other varieties, so portion sizes should be limited to no more than 50g across the board.
- Lemons
Yes, Relatively… Lemons, like limes, are the less sweet variety of citrus and as a result they too have quite a low sugar content, although it’s higher than limes. 100g of whole lemon will give 9g of carbs, 2,5g of which is sugar. Lemon serving size can be up to 100g.
Why Are Avocados Keto Friendly?
Despite their high carb count, 9g per 100g, most of this (7g) is dietary fiber and only 0,7g is sugar. They are also rich in oils, making them the perfect addition to your keto diet. They are also rich in potassium and magnesium, making them the perfect replacement for bananas.
Why Are Starfruit Keto Friendly?
Starfruit have a total of 7g of carbs per 100g, only 4g of which is sugar, making them a nice snack for your keto diet. They are also rich in vitamin C if you are afraid that you may not be getting enough in your keto diet.
Why Is Coconut Meat Keto Friendly?
Coconut meat, like avocados, may have a high carb count, 15g per 100g, but most of this (9g) is dietary fiber, with the remaining 6g accounting for sugar. It is also an excellent source of iron and magnesium. It is also high in fat, 33g per 100g, so most of your calories will be coming from fats.
Why Are Olives Keto Friendly?
While they have no sugar, olives are still considered a fruit. Per 100g ripe, canned olives have 6,3g carbs, 0g sugar and 3,2g fiber. They are also high in monounsaturated fats, with 10,7g fat per 100g, of which 7,89g are monounsaturated.
Why Are Tomatoes Keto Friendly?
Are they a fruit or a vegetable…? Scientifically they are a fruit and as a fruit they make the perfect addition to your keto diet. Each 100g of cherry tomatoes contains 3,92g of carbs, of which 2,63g is sugar. Seven of these weigh about 80g and for this serving you will get only 2,9g of carbs, one third of which is fiber.
Remember
- Green does not mean go
The riper a fruit is the more sugar it contains. But this only affects the sugar count. The total carbs stay relatively stable. So, even if you eat a green plum, which weighs about 71g, you will still be getting 7,5g of carbs, even though there will be less than 6,5g sugar. This is not a good way to cheat the keto diet as you will still be getting in a lot of carbs even though less of it may be from sugar. You also cannot be sure how much less the sugar content will be, so working from the table above, whether the fruit is green or ripe, is your best bet.
All carbs get broken down into sugar, so while you may be consuming “less” sugar, once your body has digested it it all looks relatively the same and has the potential to raise your blood sugar.
- Count the meal not the fruit
The key to staying in the optimal ketosis zone is to make sure you don’t eat too many carbs in a certain meal. You also need to make sure that most of your calories in the total meal comes from fat. So even if you have a handful of blackberries as a snack, and only blackberries, you might not be “overdoing” your carb allowance, but you won’t be getting in any fats. Which means that when it comes to digesting that meal, you won’t be in ketosis. You need to match the carbs in the fruit with the appropriate amount of fat in that same meal in order to stay in ketosis.
You also need to count the total carbs of the entire meal, of which the fruit is just a part. Your total calories from carbs should be no more than 15%-20%, with more than 65%, but up to 85%, of your calories coming from fats.
- If you’re new to keto, get some recipes
The fact that calories from carbs, especially vegetables, look more than those from fats may be confusing at first. If you use a couple of keto recipes to help you get to grips with how much of what you should be eating, and what that looks like, you will soon be able to come up with some of your own recipes and meal plans.
Once you understand the sizes of portions, do still make sure you have the right values. But when you get into the swing of things you’ll quickly figure out how to create amazing and tasty meals with just the right calorie ratio from carbs, proteins and fats.