What Are Some Non-Starchy Fruits?
According to an article by Meg Campbell on SFGate, non-starchy fruits include melons, oranges, apricots, pears and berries. Non-starchy fruits are low in calories and sugar, and consuming three servings each day can help people stay healthy and lose weight.
Campbell identifies five different types of fruits: melons, citric, stone, pome and berries. Most melons are very low in starch, which makes them good additions to a healthy diet. Acidic fruits, such as lemons and oranges, are also very low in starch. For example, about 80 percent of a tangerine’s sugar content comes from starch-free sucrose. Stone fruits, or fruits with pits, are also low in starch, and peaches and cherries have no starch at all. The pome fruits with the lowest starch content are apples and peaches. About 80 percent of the calorie content of an apple, for example, is derived from simple sugars. Berries are another great way to avoid starch. Blackberries, strawberries and raspberries have almost no starch content at all.
The only readily available fruit that has a high starch content, according to Campbell, is the banana. About 25 percent of a banana’s calories come from starch. Bananas still contain about 50 percent simple sugars, however, so they are not unhealthy. They can be a worthy addition to a balanced diet despite their starch content.
