Food & Fitness

   

Pineapple and other fruits contain carbohydrates in the form of fructose, which is a naturally occurring sugar. When you have diabetes, foods that have carbohydrates will raise your blood glucose. This doesn’t mean that you have to avoid all foods that contain carbs, but you should choose sources of carbohydrate that are nutrient-rich and be sure to control portion sizes.

Besides carbohydrates, fruit provides several other important nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, and an assortment of vitamins and minerals, so it is a good carbohdyrate choice. Pineapple has no fat, saturated fat, or cholesterol. It is also high in vitamin C.

When buying pineapple at the store, buy it fresh. If you don’t like to go through the trouble of cutting up a whole pineapple, most stores also sell it precut. You can also buy pineapple in a can but make sure it has been canned in juice, not light or heavy syrup.

Most people can fit pineapple into their meal plan by controlling their portion sizes. The following portions have about 15 grams of carbohydrate:

• ½ cup of canned pineapple
• ¾ cup of fresh pineapple

Some people with diabetes report that certain fruits like pineapple and watermelon make their blood glucose spike. You may want to monitor how your body reacts to eating pineapple, and adjust your portion size as needed.