What about Healthy Fruit?
As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.
But for most people it would also be wise to limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less, as you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of fructose if you drink beverages other than water and eat processed food. Remember, the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, so one can of soda ALONE would exceed your daily allotment.
Fifteen grams of fructose is not much -- it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or two Medjool dates. In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Johnson includes detailed tables showing the content of fructose in different foods -- an information base that isn't readily available when you're trying to find out exactly how much fructose is in various foods. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this excellent resource.
Here's a quick reference list of some of the most common fruits that you can use to help you count your fructose grams:
Fruit - Serving Size - Grams of Fructose
Limes - 1 medium - 0
Lemons - 1 medium - 0.6
Cranberries - 1 cup - 0.7
Passion fruit - 1 medium - 0.9
Prune - 1 medium - 1.2
Apricot - 1 medium - 1.3
Guava - 2 medium - 2.2
Date (Deglet Noor style) - 1 medium - 2.6
Cantaloupe - 1/8 of med. melon - 2.8
Raspberries - 1 cup - 3.0
Clementine - 1 medium - 3.4
Kiwifruit - 1 medium - 3.4
Blackberries - 1 cup - 3.5
Star fruit - 1 medium - 3.6
Cherries, sweet - 10 - 3.8
Strawberries - 1 cup - 3.8
Cherries, sour - 1 cup - 4.0
Pineapple - 1 slice (3.5" x .75") - 4.0
Grapefruit, pink or red - 1/2 medium - 4.3
Boysenberries - 1 cup - 4.6
Tangerine/mandarin orange - 1 medium - 4.8
Nectarine - 1 medium - 5.4
Peach - 1 medium - 5.9
Orange (navel) - 1 medium - 6.1
Papaya - 1/2 medium - 6.3
Honeydew - 1/8 of med. melon - 6.7
Banana - 1 medium - 7.1
Blueberries - 1 cup - 7.4
Date (Medjool) - 1 medium - 7.7
Apple (composite) - 1 medium - 9.5
Persimmon - 1 medium - 10.6
Watermelon - 1/16 med. melon - 11.3
Pear - 1 medium - 11.8
Raisins - 1/4 cup - 12.3
Grapes, seedless (green or red) - 1 cup - 12.4
Mango - 1/2 medium - 16.2
Apricots, dried - 1 cup - 16.4
Figs, dried - 1 cup - 23.0
What About Xylitol?
However, sugar alcohols -- including xylitol -- do not make “sugar free” foods calorie free. If foods containing sugar alcohols are eaten in large enough quantities, the calories can be comparable to sugar-containing foods. As with all foods, you need to carefully read the food labels for calorie and carbohydrate content, regardless of any claims that the food is sugar-free or low-sugar.
Maltitol, a commonly used sugar alcohol, spikes blood sugar almost as much as a starchy new potato. Xylitol, in comparison, does not spike blood sugar much at all. Pure xylitol also does not usually produce the gas or bloating associated with other sugar alcohols.
In moderation, some sugar alcohols can be a better choice than highly refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Of the various sugar alcohols, xylitol is one of the best. When it is pure, the potential side effects are minimal, and it actually comes with some benefits such as fighting tooth decay. All in all, I would say that xylitol is reasonably safe, and potentially even a mildly beneficial sweetener.
