Low-fructose foods: the table for fruits and vegetables

October 21, 2026approx. 17 minutesby mybody®x Editorial & Expert Team

In this article

Which foods are low in fructose? The table

The food with the least fructose in the table below is raw spinach, at 0.22 g per 100 g; grapes have the highest value, at 6.48 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). The other varieties fall in between. Always consider both sugars together, not just fructose.

The values come from the German Food Code, or BLS for short, which the Max Rubner Institute (2025) published as an open database in version 4.0. For each food, it lists fructose (fruit sugar) and glucose (grape sugar) in separate columns, each in grams per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). These two values appear in the second column of the table, separated by a slash. The third column shows the ratio between the two sugars, calculated from BLS 4.0 (2025).

Why the ratio? Because the amount of fructose alone doesn’t show how much glucose is also present. In a review, people with fructose malabsorption, in which fructose is incompletely absorbed in the intestine, reported no symptoms when fructose was given together with glucose (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016). This is discussed in detail in the chapter on glucose.

The table is intended for reference. Fruit is listed at the top, followed by vegetables, with both groups sorted in descending order by their fructose-to-glucose ratio. To find the amount, look in the second column; to see how glucose balances it out, look in the third.

Fruit and vegetables, raw: fructose and glucose

How to read a row: The first number is fructose, the second glucose, both in grams per 100 g of raw food (BLS 4.0, 2025). If the ratio is above one, there’s more fructose than glucose; if it’s below one, glucose is higher (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025). For example, an apple has 5.21 g of fructose but only 1.13 g of glucose, giving a ratio of 4.6 (BLS 4.0, 2025). The fruit is listed up to apricot, and the vegetables start with spinach.

Which vegetables are low in fructose?

Every vegetable in the table contains some fructose; raw spinach has the least, at 0.22 g per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). So if you’re looking for vegetables with no fructose, you won’t find any in this selection, but there are significant differences.

After spinach come broccoli, with 0.62 g, and carrot, with 0.75 g of fructose per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). Cucumber has 0.89 g, and zucchini 1.00 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). These vegetables are therefore below or just above apricot, which, at 0.94 g, is the fruit with the least fructose in the table (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Red bell pepper is at the top, with 2.72 g of fructose per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). That puts it almost level with strawberries, which contain 2.69 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). Between them are onion, at 1.81 g, and tomato, at 1.73 g (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Which vegetables have more glucose than fructose?

Glucose is higher in the table for red bell pepper, at 2.72 g to 3.33 g, and onion, at 1.81 g to 2.70 g per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). Glucose is also slightly higher in cucumber, at 1.07 g, with a ratio of 0.8 (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025).

Zucchini, at 1.00 g to 1.00 g, and carrot, at 0.75 g to 0.77 g, are almost evenly balanced (BLS 4.0, 2025). Tomatoes and broccoli have slightly more fructose than glucose, with ratios of 1.2 and 1.1 (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025).

Spinach shows why the two values belong together. It has the least fructose, but the highest ratio among the vegetables: 0.22 g of fructose compared with 0.14 g of glucose, giving a ratio of 1.6 (BLS 4.0, 2025). A table can’t tell you which of the two values matters more for you. That’s something a consultation following the breath test can help clarify; more on that below.

Which fruit is low in fructose?

Among the fruits in the table, apricots have the least fructose at 0.94 g per 100 g, followed by plums at 2.19 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). Grapes have the highest value at 6.48 g (BLS 4.0, 2025).

This covers sugar values only. Whether symptoms after eating an apple are more likely caused by an allergy or by fructose is discussed in the article about apples and bananas.

For fruit, the quantity and ratio can differ widely. Blueberries and grapes contain high amounts of fructose, at 5.79 g and 6.48 g per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). Their ratios of 1.5 and 1.3 are nevertheless mid-range because they also contain plenty of glucose (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025). Mango contains considerably less fructose, at 3.00 g, but only 1.00 g of glucose (BLS 4.0, 2025). Its ratio of 3.0 is the second-highest in the table (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025).

Which fruits contain more glucose than fructose?

Pineapple and kiwi have more glucose than fructose in the table, with a ratio of 0.9 each (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025). Banana and sweet cherry each have a ratio of 0.8 (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025). The ratio is lowest for plums at 0.6 and apricots at 0.5 (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025). Orange is nearly balanced, with 2.28 g fructose to 2.37 g glucose (BLS 4.0, 2025).

A review from the US lists these varieties from the table among the low-fructose fruit alternatives (Fedewa and Rao, 2014):

• Pineapple
• Strawberries
• Bananas

According to the German Nutrient Database, pineapple and banana contain more glucose than fructose (BLS 4.0, 2025). The strawberry is close to one at 1.1, calculated from BLS 4.0 (2025).

Fructose-to-glucose ratio, calculated from BLS 4.0 (2025)

Source: Max Rubner Institute, German Nutrient Database 4.0 (2025); ratio calculated from BLS 4.0 (2025)

Which fruits contain sorbitol?

In addition to fructose and glucose, the German Nutrient Database also lists sorbitol, a sugar alcohol (BLS 4.0, 2025). The same overview from the US (Fedewa and Rao, 2014) classifies foods by FODMAPs, or fermentable carbohydrates that are fermented in the gut. Among the polyols, the sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, it lists these fruits among foods high in FODMAPs (Fedewa and Rao, 2014):

• Apples
• Pears
• Plums
• Cherries

For sorbitol, the German Nutrient Database lists these values in grams per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025):

• Pear: 3.08 g
• Plum: 2.61 g
• Sweet cherry: 1.67 g
• Apricot: 0.80 g
• Apple: 0.60 g
• Broccoli: 0.40 g

The plum shows that the ratio alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Its ratio of 0.6, calculated from BLS 4.0 (2025), means it contains more glucose than fructose; nevertheless, it is listed under polyols in the overview (Fedewa and Rao, 2014). The lists in the overview are dietary recommendations, not measurements (Fedewa and Rao, 2014). That’s why all gram amounts in this article come from the German Food Code (BLS 4.0, 2025).

Why does glucose matter in foods low in fructose?

Because people with fructose malabsorption reported no symptoms in an overview when fructose was given together with glucose (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016). Without glucose, fructose led to elevated hydrogen levels in their breath and symptoms.

With fructose, the amount matters, and so does how much glucose is in the same food. That’s why the table has a third column: it shows how much fructose there is per gram of glucose, calculated from BLS 4.0 (2025).

According to the overview, it is still unclear why glucose has this effect (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016).

What does the glucose in apples and kiwis show?

Apple and kiwi are not far apart in fructose content, at 5.21 g versus 4.40 g per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). But apples have only 1.13 g of glucose compared with their fructose content, while kiwis have 4.80 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). The ratio is therefore 4.6 for apples and 0.9 for kiwis, calculated from BLS 4.0 (2025).

The same is true of pears and sweet cherries: pears contain 5.93 g of fructose, and sweet cherries 5.75 g per 100 g (BLS 4.0, 2025). Sweet cherries also contain 7.14 g of glucose, compared with 2.69 g in pears (BLS 4.0, 2025). If you look only at fructose, the two values seem almost the same; if you look at the ratio, they are 2.2 versus 0.8 (calculated from BLS 4.0, 2025). Nevertheless, cherries are listed under polyols in the overview from the US (Fedewa and Rao, 2014).

What you take away from this is an interpretation, not a rule. The overview refers to fructose given together with glucose (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016). The table shows how the two sugars are distributed in individual foods. It’s best to discuss whether a food with a high glucose content is right for you in a consultation after the breath test.

Fructose malabsorption or hereditary fructose intolerance: What’s the difference?

With fructose malabsorption, fructose is incompletely absorbed in the gut (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016). Hereditary fructose intolerance, by contrast, is a congenital metabolic disorder (paraphrased from Gaughan et al., 2021).

The terms sound similar but refer to two different things. The distinction matters in everyday life because this chart is not intended for the hereditary form.

What happens with fructose malabsorption?

If fructose is incompletely absorbed in the gut, symptoms may follow, including (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016):

• Abdominal pain
• Bloating
• Diarrhea

Fructose that is not absorbed draws water into the gut (paraphrased from Fedewa and Rao, 2014). It is fermented in the large intestine, producing gas (paraphrased from Fedewa and Rao, 2014).

A separate article on bloating after meals explains how to understand bloating in general. Whether an intolerance has anything to do with body weight is discussed in the article Intolerance and body weight.

What is hereditary fructose intolerance?

A congenital metabolic disorder in which fructose and table sugar cause symptoms (paraphrased from Gaughan et al., 2021). The same applies to sorbitol, the sugar alcohol from the fruit chapter (paraphrased from Gaughan et al., 2021).

The overview then describes metabolic disorders such as low blood sugar, as well as nausea and vomiting (paraphrased from Gaughan et al., 2021).

The difference lies in the cause: fructose malabsorption affects absorption in the gut, while hereditary fructose intolerance is genetic (Gaughan et al., 2021). The hereditary form should be handled by a doctor. This chart is not intended for that, and choosing low-fructose foods from it is no substitute for medical evaluation.

How is fructose malabsorption diagnosed?

With the hydrogen breath test: After a dose of fructose, the hydrogen in the breath is measured (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016). According to this overview, it is unclear what the right test dose is (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016).

People with fructose malabsorption have elevated hydrogen levels in their breath and experience symptoms after consuming fructose (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016). A food chart cannot replace this test: it shows how much fructose an apple contains, but not how your gut handles it.

Hereditary fructose intolerance follows a different path. It is identified through variants in the ALDOB gene, that is, through genetic testing (Gaughan et al., 2021). This step should also be handled by a doctor.

If you’re also keeping an eye on lactose, you can find a dedicated article on lactose and probiotics.

One final point concerns the gut itself: Unabsorbed fructose is fermented in the large intestine (paraphrased from Fedewa and Rao, 2014).

The Gut Microbiome Test | Complete from mybody®x (MYBODY Lab GmbH) offers another perspective on the gut: It identifies over 1,500 bacterial species through DNA sequencing of a stool sample, and its FODMAP index indicates how significant fermentable carbohydrates may be for you; price €189.00 (as of 21.10.2026; subject to change). It is not a test for fructose malabsorption and does not replace the breath test; no mybody®x test measures histamine or DAO. It can help you prepare for a conversation with your doctor, but it does not replace a medical assessment.

When is a low-fructose diet appropriate?

Whether a low-fructose diet is appropriate, and for how long, is something to discuss with a doctor or dietitian after the breath test. The table is a reference, not a diet plan.

The sources themselves support this. The lists in the US review are dietary suggestions, not measurements (Fedewa and Rao, 2014). And the 2016 review describes the effect of glucose as an observation whose underlying reason has not yet been established (paraphrased from Ebert and Witt, 2016). Together, these can provide a framework, but not a plan that works for everyone.

Fructose malabsorption is also a consideration when histamine intolerance is suspected. The relevant guideline lists disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, such as lactose intolerance and fructose malabsorption, among the conditions to distinguish from it—that is, as other possible explanations for the symptoms (DGAKI et al., 2021). For what has been established about histamine itself, see the article on histamine.

If abdominal symptoms persist, consult a doctor. If you want to rethink your diet as a whole afterward, Diet for irritable bowel syndrome offers another starting point.

For this conversation, the table is useful: it shows that not all fruit is the same and gives you figures to discuss.

Low-fructose foods: What are the limitations of the table?

The table shows average and individual values without a range of variation, and its ratio applies only to free sugars (BLS 4.0, 2025). The accompanying classification is based on review articles, two of which we assessed using only their summaries (Ebert and Witt, 2016; Gaughan et al., 2021).

The values come from different sources. For apples and carrots, the fructose value is based on an analysis; for grapes, it is based on literature data (BLS 4.0, 2025). For the other foods in the table, the source is listed as an aggregation, meaning a combination of values (BLS 4.0, 2025). We have not included a range of variation. The figures are therefore reference points for each food, not a measurement of the apple in your fruit bowl.

The ratio applies only to free fructose and free glucose, the two values listed in separate columns in the German Nutrient Database (BLS 4.0, 2025). We calculated it ourselves using exactly those columns.

The review of fructose malabsorption is from 2016, and we had access only to its summary (Ebert and Witt, 2016). The same applies to the genetics review of hereditary fructose intolerance (Gaughan et al., 2021). The lists of low-fructose and high-FODMAP foods come from a 2014 US review and are dietary suggestions, not measurements (Fedewa and Rao, 2014).

What the table still offers: it puts two figures side by side that you would otherwise have to look up separately, and it comes from an open database that anyone can consult (Max Rubner Institute, 2025).

Low-fructose foods: What you can do now

Use the table as a reference, and look at both columns together: the amount of fructose and the ratio to glucose. If you repeatedly experience symptoms after eating fruit, a hydrogen breath test is the way to determine whether you have fructose malabsorption. Afterward, talk with a doctor or nutrition professional to work out whether a low-fructose diet makes sense for you, and for how long, and bring the table to the discussion. The apple is not forbidden; it is a number you can put into context.

Frequently asked questions

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Sources

1. Max Rubner Institute: German Food Code (BLS), Version 4.0 (as of 2025) – blsdb.de
2. Ebert K., Witt H.: Fructose malabsorption. Molecular and Cellular Pediatrics (as of 2016) – europepmc.org
3. Fedewa A., Rao S. S. C.: Dietary fructose intolerance, fructan intolerance and FODMAPs. Current Gastroenterology Reports (as of 2014) – europepmc.org
4. Gaughan S. et al.: Hereditary Fructose Intolerance. GeneReviews (as of 2021) – europepmc.org

All gram amounts and the ratio calculated from them are based on [1]. The statements on fructose malabsorption and the breath test are based on [2]. Fermentation in the large intestine and the food lists are based on [3], while hereditary fructose intolerance is based on [4]. The note on histamine intolerance is based on the DGAKI guideline, among others (2021). The information on the gut microbiome test | Complete current as of 21.10.2026.