Fresh apricots are small, so a 120g portion is about three fruits. Dr Unwin’s fruits chart lists them at that weight with the lowest glycaemic index on the chart, 34, and the smallest glycaemic load, 3. Both numbers, and the teaspoon figure, are printed on the chart.
The chart specifies fresh apricots, and the distinction matters. In many countries dried apricots are far easier to find than fresh ones, and drying removes most of the water, so a 120g bag of dried apricots is made from many more than three fruits. Dried apricots are not on any of the charts used here, so this site has no figure for them. Canned apricots in syrup are also a different food.
Apricots have a short season in early summer in the northern hemisphere, and much of the fresh fruit on sale is imported. How ripe the fruit was when picked affects its sweetness.
On the fruits chart, the teaspoon figures run from apricots at the low end to banana at the top, all for the same 120g weight.
Another stone fruit, the nectarine, is on the same chart.
The numbers
- Glycaemic index
- 34
- Available carbohydrate
- not printed on this source
- Glycaemic load
- 3, as printed on the source
- Teaspoons
- 1.1
Glycaemic load printed on the source: 3
Teaspoons: 3 ÷ 2.73 = 1.1
Source
Read from a published chart: Fruits (sugar infographic). Dr David Unwin. Public Health Collaboration.
The teaspoon-of-sugar method is the work of Dr David Unwin, and his sugar infographics are published by the Public Health Collaboration at phcuk.org/sugar and used here with PHC's permission. Full provenance for every food is on the sources page.
Side by side
-
Apricots, fresh
about 3 apricots (120g)
1.1 teaspoons
- Dried mixed fruit
about 1/3 cup (60g)
9.0 teaspoons
- White potato, boiled
1 medium (150g)
9.1 teaspoons