Does fruit have too much sugar?

Direct answer: Fruit contains natural sugars, but these are not added sugars. ICMR-NIN's 2000 kcal plate includes 100g of fruit a day, suggests at least 30g of fruit with every meal, and prefers whole fruit over juice because whole fruit brings fibre. The sugars to limit are those added to foods and drinks.

What counts as added sugar?

FSSAI defines added sugars as sugars added to foods and beverages, so sugar naturally in whole fruit isn't counted.

Why whole fruit over juice?

ICMR-NIN says fresh juices can't be equated to whole fresh fruit, which contains fibre.

Is dried fruit the same?

Dried fruit is concentrated; keep portions small and check labels for added sugar.

FAQ

Is mango too sweet?

Enjoy it within the day's fruit amount.

Should people with medical conditions limit fruit?

That's a doctor's or dietitian's call.

Further reading

• Added sugar vs total sugar on labels

Sources

• ICMR-NIN Expert Committee, Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024 (DGI 2024), nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI_2024.pdf, Table 1.2a, PDF p. 24 / printed p. 7; 30g fruit per meal, PDF p. 18 / printed p. 1; juice vs whole fruit, PDF p. 107 / printed p. 90
• FSSAI, Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, reg. 5(3)(a)(ii), compendium PDF p. 9