Fruit isn’t the same as sugar. Learn why natural sugars from whole fruit are healthier than added sugars—and how fruit fits into a balanced, nutritious diet. Plus, you can use the natural sweetening power of fruits to sweeten your favorite foods the healthy way.
You may have heard the claim that “fruit is just sugar”—but that’s a myth that needs busting. While fruit does contain natural sugars, it’s not the same as added sugars found in processed foods. Whole fruits come packed with fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and water—nutrients that help slow sugar absorption and support overall health. I’m breaking down the difference between natural and added sugars, explaining why fruit is an important part of a balanced diet, and offering tips on how to enjoy it without guilt. Plus, I’m sharing my favorite fruit recipes, and tips for using fruit to naturally sweeten your favorite foods.
The old way of thinking is that a gram of sugar is a gram of sugar, no matter if it comes from fruit or high fructose corn syrup. But evidence reveals that our bodies can tell the difference between nutritionally empty refined sugars and naturally-occurring fruit sugars that come packaged with an arsenal of nutrients. And enlightened consumers are skipping the sugar bowl and turning to the culinary power of whole fruits to add a naturally sweet touch to foods.
The fact is we’re eating too much sugar. Americans are consuming an average range of 17-34 teaspoons of added sugars per day—that’s more than two to three times what we should be getting. In the typical American diet, the majority of sugars—whether naturally-occurring or refined—come from added sugars at the table and in food and beverage processing and production. The major sources of added sugars in our diets are soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks, grain-based desserts, sugar-sweetened fruit drinks, dairy-based desserts and candy.
What Are Added Sugars?
We’re pumping up the sugar in our diets, especially sugars hiding in prepared and processed foods and beverages. Here’s what qualifies as an “added sugar.”
|
High fructose corn syrup |
White sugar | Brown sugar |
|
Corn syrup |
Corn syrup solids |
Raw sugar |
|
Malt syrup |
Maple syrup |
Pancake syrup |
| Fructose sweetener | Liquid fructose |
Honey |
| Molasses | Anhydrous dextrose |
Crystal dextrose |
Sugar Blues
Sugar has been targeted as a primary health culprit by the American Heart Association (AHA), which provided guidelines on restricting added sugars in the diet in order to help prevent obesity and cardiovascular disease. According to the AHA, evidence links excessive sugar intake with several metabolic abnormalities and adverse health conditions, overconsumption of discretionary calories, and shortfalls of essential nutrients. Thus, the AHA recommends an upper limit for daily added sugar intake at no more than 100 calories for women (about 25 grams or six teaspoons) and 150 (about 35 grams or nine teaspoons) for men. The Dietary Guidelines also took aim at added sugars, issuing a key recommendation that Americans should reduce consumption in order to lower the calorie content of the diet without compromising its nutrient adequacy.
Science also points out problems inherent with sugary diets. In a study published in November 2024 in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that higher intake of added sugars, especially from beverages, is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease.
Fruit Sugar vs. Refined Sugar
While you shouldn’t worry about replacing all added sugars in your diet with fruit, there are benefits to be gained by replacing some of it. All types of sugar, whether they come from milk, fruit or a can of soda, are broken down by your body into metabolic building blocks. But refined sugars produce a rapid, high rise in blood glucose, compared with most whole fruits that produce a gradual rise in blood glucose. A gram of sugar in an apple might not behave exactly the same as a gram of sugar in a jelly bean. The jelly bean will be absorbed faster and elicit a higher insulin response which suppresses fat oxidation and maybe, over the longer term, encourages weight gain. The gram of sugar in the apple might also be more satiating than the gram in the jelly bean and suppress hunger for longer, encouraging better weight control.
The benefits of fruit over sugar extend beyond their glucose effects. Skipping refined sugars and using the natural sweetness of whole fruits enhances the nutritional value of foods with a bevy of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and antioxidants. A big bonus in whole fruits is its high fiber content, which offers tighter blood sugar control in the body. Since fiber-rich foods are absorbed more slowly in the body, foods sweetened with whole fruit create a slower release of sugar into the blood stream. This bodes well for fending off type 2 diabetes by not overworking the pancreas. In particular, fruits are high in soluble fiber, which is recommended as a preferential type of fiber by the Nutrition Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes because of its ability to reduce blood glucose levels after eating.
And let’s not forget the power of fruit phytochemicals on health. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers investigated the effects of a strawberry beverage among 24 men and women with high blood lipids for 12 weeks. The subjects consumed either a strawberry beverage (with 10 grams freeze-dried fruit) or a placebo beverage matched in calories with a high-fat meal. The blood lipid and oxidized stress levels were lower in the strawberry drink group compared with placebo. The researchers concluded that consuming strawberries with a meal might protect you from the oxidative and inflammatory burden you might normally experience after eating a high-fat meal.
Of course, strawberries aren’t the only fruit packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Try a variety of whole, unsweetened fruits such as apples, pears, berries, dates, raisins, figs, cherries, bananas, mango, and prunes in lieu of sugar in your favorite recipes.
Fruit Sweetening Stars in the Kitchen
Check out this all-star lineup of versatile fruits that can help you skim the sugar from your diet.
| Fruits | Culinary Uses |
| Applesauce, unsweetened | Add to breakfast cereals, sweeten baked goods like cakes and soft cookies*. |
| Bananas | Mix into smoothies, non-fat plain yogurt, and use mashed to replace sugar in breads, cakes, puddings, and cookies*. |
| Berries (i.e. strawberries, blueberries, blackberries) | Slice into cereals, yogurt, smoothies, pies, and puddings. Puree to make a topping for pancakes and desserts. |
| Dates | Chop into cookies, cakes, pies, and creamy desserts to replace sugar; puree and add to dressings, marinades, and smoothies. |
| Dried, unsweetened fruit (i.e. raisins, figs, cherries, berries, apricots) | Stir into hot cereal, granola, trail mix, puddings, pies, cookies, and cakes. |
| Prunes | Use in cereals and yogurts. Puree to create a sweetener to replace sugar in baked goods like pancakes, quick breads, cakes, and cookies*. |
*In recipes, replace half of the required sugar with this fruit, cut liquid by ¼ cup.
12 Naturally Sweet, Low-Added Sugar Fruit Recipes
Discover more low sugar recipes starring fruit.
Healthy Trail Mix Homemade Oatmeal
Strawberry Banana Coconut Baked Oatmeal
Vegan Date Shake
Healthy Vegan Rose Brownies with Pomegranates
Red Raspberry Crumble Bars
Easy Vegan White Peach Tart
Peach Crisp with Rosemary and Olive Oil
Apricot Tart with Slivered Almonds
Fruit and Vegetable Popsicles
Chia Seed Pudding with Berries
Vegan Apple Crumble with Cinnamon
Ojai Pixie Tangerine Cheesecake Cups
Main Image: Apricot Tart with Slivered Almonds
