Food · 5 min read ·

How to choose fruit

Is there too much sugar in fruit? Is fresh better than frozen or dried? And does juice count?

In a nutshell

1Isn't there too much sugar in fruit?

WHO recommendation under 10% The WHO recommends keeping free sugars below 10% of daily energy. They include sugar added to food and drinks and the sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The sugar in whole fruit is not one of them.1
Moderate evidence −26% In three large US studies, three portions of blueberries a week went with a 26% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, grapes and raisins with a 12% lower risk and apples and pears with a 7% lower risk. The same amount of juice, on the other hand, went with an 8% higher risk.4

2How much fruit

Strong evidence 2 + 3 portions In two large studies plus a summary of others with almost 1.9 million people, mortality was lowest in those who ate about 2 portions of fruit and 3 portions of vegetables a day — 13% lower than with 2 portions in total. Eating more did not lower the risk further.2
WHO recommendation 400 g The WHO recommends at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day for everyone older than 10.1

A portion is about 80 g: one apple, banana or orange, two plums or two kiwis, seven strawberries.5

3Juices and smoothies

Expert recommendation 150 ml The NHS advises no more than 150 ml of juices and smoothies a day in total — one small glass.5 According to the WHO, most juices contain a lot of free sugars, even without added sugar.1
Moderate evidence A summary of 42 studies: in children, each glass of 100% juice a day went with a slight increase in BMI. In adults, randomised trials found no effect on weight.6

4Fresh, frozen, dried

Lab measurement 8 kinds For eight kinds of fruit and vegetables, including blueberries and strawberries, frozen samples had the same or more vitamin C than fresh ones kept in the fridge.3

The WHO: fresh fruit and vegetables are great choices, but frozen and canned are also good — provided they have no added sugar or too much salt.1

A portion of dried fruit is about 30 g — a heaped tablespoon of raisins or three prunes. It packs a lot of sugar into a small volume and can be bad for your teeth.5

5What about pesticides?

Data 96.1% Of almost 88,000 food samples on the EU market in 2021, 96.1% were below the legal limits for pesticide residues. 2.5% of samples clearly exceeded them.7

What to take from this

Sources

Written on , based on studies available at that date. Newer research may change the conclusions.

  1. WHO (2026). Healthy diet — fact sheet. who.int
  2. Wang D. D. et al. (2021). Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies of US men and women and a meta-analysis of 26 cohort studies. Circulation 143:1642–1654. doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048996
  3. Bouzari A., Holstege D., Barrett D. M. (2015). Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. J Agric Food Chem 63:957–962. doi.org/10.1021/jf5058793
  4. Muraki I. et al. (2013). Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies. BMJ 347:f5001. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f5001
  5. NHS (2022). 5 A Day portion sizes. nhs.uk
  6. Nguyen M. et al. (2024). Consumption of 100% fruit juice and body weight in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr 178:237–246. doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.6124
  7. EFSA (2023). The 2021 European Union report on pesticide residues in food. EFSA Journal 21:e07939. doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7939

This is general information and does not replace a doctor or dietitian. If you find a mistake or a newer study, let us know.