Why You Should Think Twice About Eating Grapes

Grapes seem like a pretty innocuous choice when it comes to a quick snack, or something to throw on a platter with cheese and crackers. But surprisingly, especially for those who are watching their waistlines, grapes are not a particularly nutritious choice, even though they seem like a healthy option since, well, they are a fruit.

We think of carb-heavy foods as being wheat-based products like breads, crackers, cookies, and the like. But don't be fooled; grapes are actually full of carbs (via Livestrong). A 1-cup serving of grapes contains 27 grams of carbohydrates. By comparison, watermelon has only 7.6 grams per 100 grams, or 1/2 cup of fruit (via Healthline). Strawberries have only 7.7 grams per 100 grams, and peaches have only 9.54 grams of carbs per 100 grams of fruit. 

The fact that grapes are like Pringles does not help either. Who has ever eaten just one, or a single cup for that matter?

Given that many grapes are seedless, you don't even have to put in any work to enjoy them like you might with cherries. Eating one right after another until the cluster has been plucked clean is a common occurrence. As a result, even though grapes don't have an outrageous amount of calories (around 100 per cup), the mindless eating that grapes encourage can lead to consuming quite a bit more of them than a "one and done" fruit like an apple, pear, or peach.

The other issue with eating copious amounts of grapes is that they have a sizable amount of fiber. While ultimately this is a good thing, as the body requires fiber intake for a healthy gastrointestinal system, it can cause some short-term, but unpleasant stomach rumbling if you're not accustomed to a particularly fiber-rich diet

All in all though, while grapes may not be the healthiest fruit out there, they are indeed still a fruit, making them a better snack choice than many other options. Ahem, Pringles.