Is The Sugar in Bananas Bad?

Back in our early CrossFit days, our first coach had some... interesting nutrition advice.

Like the time he forbade us from eating bananas because “they’re just sugar sticks.”

Dead serious.
Fruit? Forbidden.
Bananas? Devil’s candy.

And we believed him until we educated ourselves.

It seemed to make sense at the time.

Sugar = bad. Fruit has sugar. Therefore, fruit = bad. Right?

Wrong.

Fruit is one of the most nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, health-promoting foods you can eat.

Yes, it contains naturally occurring sugar. But sugar in fruit is not the same thing as sugar in a donut or a soda. When you eat an apple or a banana, you’re also getting:

✅ Fiber
✅ Water
✅ Vitamins (like C, A, and folate)
✅ Minerals (like potassium and magnesium)
✅ Antioxidants

Are you worried about blood sugar “spikes”?

The fiber in fruit slows down how quickly the sugar hits your bloodstream.

So while your blood sugar may rise temporarily, that’s completely normal and not harmful in the context of a balanced diet.

What is harmful?

Cutting out fruit because of its natural sugar… while trusting every product on the shelf labeled “low carb” or “keto” without looking at what’s actually inside.

Let’s be clear:

🥝 Fruit doesn’t cause weight gain.
🍇 Fruit doesn’t prevent fat loss.
🍒 Fruit doesn’t spike insulin in some magical, fat-locking way.

Eating too many calories does. That’s it.

If you’re consistently eating too many calories, any food will make you gain weight. Even the “healthy” ones.

But if you’re managing your overall intake by eating mostly real food, fruit should absolutely a part of your physique-friendly, muscle-supporting, healthy diet.

Personally, we eat fruit every single day. So do our most successful clients.

Berries in oatmeal.

Bananas in protein shakes.

Apples for snacks.

Watermelon when it’s hot outside.

If you’ve been avoiding fruit because you heard it’s “just sugar,” it’s time to unsubscribe from that nonsense.

Life is too short, and fruit is too delicious!

Want to break free from dieting and nutrition nonsense for good? We have availability to help you 1 on 1. Click the button below to start today.