Glycemic Index of Fruit

Most whole fruit is low GI. Apples, pears, oranges, berries, and stone fruit all test under 45, and their GL is small because a serving holds only 10–15 g of carbs. Fruit gets trickier when it’s dried, canned in syrup, or very ripe.

Below are GI and GL values for 29 fruits, the swaps that matter most, and a shopping list you can print.

• Fruit GI table
• What makes fruit lower
• Best and worst picks
• Smart swaps
• Shopping list
• Tips
• FAQ
• Printable

Glycemic index of fruit: 29 compared

Sorted lowest to highest GI. GI: low 55 or less, medium 56–69, high 70+. GL per serving: low 10 or less, medium 11–19, high 20+. Dried fruit servings are 60 g (about a small handful); fresh fruit servings are 120 g (about one medium piece). Raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate, lemons, and limes haven’t been formally tested; berries and citrus are very low in available carbs and fit almost any low-GI or low-carb plan.

What makes one fruit lower than another

Ripeness. As fruit ripens, its starch turns to sugar. Bananas show it clearly: 42 when slightly green, 51 when fully yellow, 58 when brown-flecked.

The type of sugar. Much of the sugar in fruit is fructose, which barely raises blood sugar. Fructose-rich fruits like apples and pears test in the 30s.

Drying. Dried fruit isn’t always high GI (prunes are 29, dried apricots 30), but drying concentrates the carbs. A small handful of raisins carries a GL of 28, more than twice a bunch of fresh grapes.

Syrup. Canning in syrup adds sugar. Canned apricots test at 64; fresh ones at 34.

Water content. Watermelon and cantaloupe have a medium-to-high GI, but they’re mostly water, so a serving has a GL of only 4–5. Going by GI alone would rule them out for no good reason.

Best and worst picks

Smart swaps

Low-GI fruit shopping list

• Apples and pears
• Oranges and grapefruit
• Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (fresh or frozen, unsweetened)
• Cherries
• Peaches, plums, and apricots
• Kiwi and mango
• Bananas, bought slightly green
• Prunes or dried apricots, for small portions

Reading the label:

• For canned fruit, look for “packed in juice” or “in water,” not “light syrup” or “heavy syrup.”
• Check dried fruit for added sugar. Dried cranberries and many dried fruit mixes are sweetened.
• Frozen unsweetened berries are just as good as fresh and keep for months.

Tips to help you succeed

• Eat it, don’t drink it. I’d rather eat an orange than drink a glass of juice. The whole fruit has a GL of 5; the juice, 13.
• Buy bananas a little green. I eat them before they get spotty. The brown ones go into the freezer for baking.
• Pair fruit with protein or fat. Apple slices with peanut butter, or berries with Greek yogurt, slow how fast the sugar reaches your bloodstream.
• Halve the dried fruit. A 30 g portion, about a small palmful, cuts the GL in half compared with the 60 g servings above.
• Don’t skip melon over its GI. A wedge of watermelon has a GL of 5. It’s one of the better summer desserts you can have.

How I eat fruit

Berries go on my oatmeal or yogurt most mornings, and an apple or pear is my usual afternoon snack, often with a few almonds. Dried fruit I treat more like candy: a few pieces, not a handful.

Frequently asked questions

Which fruits have the lowest glycemic index?

Cherries (22) and grapefruit (25) test lowest, followed by prunes, dried apricots, fresh apricots, apples, and pears, all between 29 and 38.

Is watermelon bad for blood sugar?

Not in normal portions. Watermelon’s GI is high (76), but it’s mostly water, so a 120 g serving has a GL of just 5. That’s lower than a ripe banana.

Are bananas high glycemic?

It depends on ripeness. A banana with green tips tests at 42, a fully yellow one at 51, and a brown-flecked one at 58. Their GL runs 11 to 15, medium, because a banana carries more carbs than most fruit.

Is dried fruit OK on a low-GI diet?

In small amounts. Prunes, dried apricots, and dates are low GI, but drying concentrates the carbs, so a handful adds up fast. Raisins and dried figs are medium GI with a higher GL.

Can you eat fruit on South Beach or keto?

South Beach Phase 1 excludes all fruit. Phase 2 brings back low-GI fruits like berries, apples, cherries, and grapefruit. On keto, small portions of berries are about the only fruit that fits.

Printable fruit list

A free one-page version of this list is coming soon. For the full printable set covering every food group, see the glycemic index food lists at Health List Now.

GI values vary between tests. This page is general information, not medical advice. Last reviewed October 2026.