The sugars present in grapes are largely glucose (dextrose) and fructose (levulose). There are two aspects of the sugar content which have not received adequate attention. First, fructose is much sweeter than glucose.

Grapes. A cup of these has about 23 grams sugar. That’s a lot for something that’s so easy to pop in your mouth. You might eat them more slowly if you slice them in half and freeze them.

By the time of harvest, between 15 and 25% of the grape will be composed of simple sugars. Both glucose and fructose are six-carbon sugars but three-, four-, five- and seven-carbon sugars are also present in the grape.

Grapes contain natural sugar, but they’re considered a low glycemic index (GI) food. This means a single serving is unlikely to raise your blood sugar significantly.

Berries. Berries are a popular choice for people watching their carb intake. Strawberries have the fewest carbs of all types of berries, while blackberries have the fewest net carbs. For each 100 g of strawberries, you’ll get 7.68 g of carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber, yielding a net of 5.68 g of carbohydrates.

Asparagus is a sugar free vegetable that is used for a variety of health problems. It contains zero percent fat and no sugar. It helps boost metabolism as it contains vitamins A, C and K.

Tomatoes are not high in sugar, and neither are carrots. Tomatoes, similar to carrots, are considered a non-starchy vegetable in meal planning for diabetes. This means that the amount of naturally occurring sugar is minimal in a serving.

Everyday vegetables ranked by sugar content, from low to high

• 1 of 21. Spinach: 0.43g sugar per 100g.
• 2 of 21. Artichokes: 0.99g sugar per 100g.
• 3 of 21. Lettuce (raw): 0.78g sugar per 100g.
• 4 of 21. Rhubarb (raw): 1.1g sugar per 100g.
• 5 of 21. Asparagus: 1.3g sugar per 100g.
• 6 of 21. Broccoli: 1.39g sugar per 100g.
• 7 of 21.
• 8 of 21.

The answer: It is true that carrots have natural sugar, but not much more than many other vegetables. And you certainly don’t need to avoid these low-calorie, nutritious root vegetables. One half-cup of chopped raw carrot sticks has three grams of sugar and only 26 calories.

Carrots can be a safe choice if you have diabetes and are watching your blood sugar levels. They’re also non-starchy vegetables. So you can even enjoy small amounts of carrots if you’re following the ketogenic, or keto, diet.

The glycemic index of common fruits and vegetables

Sources of glucose

• Carbohydrate: Includes bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, sugar, yogurt, and milk. Our bodies change 100 percent of the carbohydrate we eat into glucose.
• Protein: Includes fish, meat, cheese, and peanut butter.
• Fat: Includes butter, salad dressing, avocado, olive oil.