Grapes are tasty and provide a range of nutrients, including vitamin C and other antioxidants. They are easy to fit into your diet and can make a handy substitute for candy and processed desserts.
Here, we look at why grapes are good for you and share ideas for how to serve them.
Nutritional Profile of Grapes
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 cup of red or green grapes contains the following nutrient breakdown:
Calories, 104
Carbs, 27.3 grams (g)
Fat, 0.2 g
Protein, 1.1 g
Fiber, 1.4 g
Vitamin C, 4.8 milligrams
Vitamin K, 22 micrograms
Grapes also contain B vitamins and a range of antioxidants, including the polyphenols resveratrol and anthocyanin. “These are powerful antioxidants linked to heart health and have anti-inflammatory effects,” says Jennifer Frediani, PhD, RD, assistant professor at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing in Atlanta.
While both green and red grapes contain roughly the same amount of vitamins and minerals, darker grapes have more anthocyanins and resveratrol than green grapes.
Health Benefits of Grapes
Grapes provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and are a good source of antioxidants. In grape pulp alone, scientists have identified at least 78 phenolic compounds, which have antioxidant properties.
These compounds may help in many ways:
Boost antioxidant activity
Reduce inflammation
Modulate the gut microbiota
Prevent or manage obesity
Protect the cardiovascular system
Prevent or manage diabetes
Protect the liver
Prevent cancer
Slow aging
Protect the nervous system
However, it’s important to note that most of these findings are based on laboratory and animal studies. Compounds used in these types of studies tend to be more concentrated than those found in foods.
While far more research is needed to confirm the health benefits of grapes, it seems clear that grapes can play a positive role as part of a healthy and varied diet.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol in grapes has been the subject of numerous studies.
Evidence suggests it may have the following benefits:
Reduce oxidative stress
Reduce inflammation
Regulate glucose metabolism
Resveratrol may also help protect the body against various diseases:
Heart disease
Diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Cancer
Menopause symptoms
While more research is needed, most people can benefit from including grapes in their diet.
Are Grapes Good for People With Diabetes?
According to Amy Kimberlain, RDN, a registered dietician based in Miami and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, people with diabetes can eat grapes, but grapes may raise blood sugar levels, as they are high in carbohydrates.
Kimberlain says that if you have diabetes, remember to take into account the amount of carbohydrates you’re consuming with grapes and balance them with other foods in the meal. “The idea is to pair carbohydrates with lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber, which will help balance blood sugar levels,” she says.
How to Incorporate Grapes Into Your Lifestyle
Eating grapes on their own may be the most common way to consume them, but there are many ways to incorporate them into salads and other sweet and savory dishes.
Frozen grapes make a tasty treat in the summer and can substitute for popsicles. Freeze red or white grapes as they are or try this recipe from Healthy Little Peach for a tart candylike snack.
You’ll need these ingredients:
Seedless green grapes
Lime juice
Granulated monk fruit sweetener (as a low-carb sugar substitute)
Don’t give frozen grapes to young children, as they may pose a choking hazard.
Grapes in Your PB&J
Who doesn’t love a classic peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich? Still, just 1 tablespoon of grape jelly can add 8 g of added sugar to your sandwich. Instead of jelly, try sliced grapes with peanut butter for the same sweet and salty contrast.
Snack Platter Featuring Grapes
Mixing grapes with cheese, nuts, or both will give you a range of essential nutrients. Grapes provide fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, while the cheese and nuts are good sources of protein.
For adults, include some olives and celery or carrot sticks.
For older children, make skewers of grapes and cheese cubes for a healthy snack.
For younger children, avoid nuts and cut the grapes and cheese into small pieces as they can be a choking hazard.
A light homemade vinaigrette dressing, made with with Dijon mustard, olive oil, and vinegar
The cheese and walnuts add protein, and the homemade vinaigrette avoids the added sugar often found in store-bought dressings.
Oatmeal Sweetened With Grapes
Oatmeal is a healthy, fiber-rich breakfast option. Plain oatmeal can be bland, so people often choose flavored or sweetened versions — but these can be high in sugar.
Instead, opt for plain oatmeal and stir in some chopped grapes as a sweetener. They’ll also add fiber and vitamins to your bowl.
It’s important to note that grape juice is healthier than soda, especially if you make it at home, but juice can be high in sugar and doesn’t have the same nutrients as whole grapes. “There are minerals that are only contained in the skin, like copper, manganese, and potassium, and some antioxidants that are part of the pigment of the skin, particularly in purple and red grapes,” Dr. Frediani says.
She adds, “Juicing removes the fiber in the skin of the grape, so there is not any fiber in grape juice. Also, grape juice has more concentrated sugar than a handful of grapes. It takes a lot of grapes to make a glass of juice, so you are going to have way more total carbohydrates in there regardless of it says it is unsweetened or not.”
People living with diabetes should note that grape juice is more concentrated in natural sugars, and because it’s a liquid, it could also have a more rapid response with a blood sugar elevation than eating the whole fruit, says Kimberlain.
Try Different Varieties of Grapes
In addition to the standard red and green grapes, there are many specialty varieties. The Foundation for Fresh Produce suggests keeping an eye out for these:
There’s a lot of talk about red wine being healthy, but as an alcoholic beverage, it also has drawbacks.
“Red wine and red grapes share some health benefits but are not identical in their effect,” Kimberlain says. “Both contain antioxidants like resveratrol and flavonoids, which are linked to improving heart health. Red wine could have more resveratrol because fermentation in the wine makes it more bioavailable to use during consumption.”
But, she adds, “Grapes have a much broader range of antioxidants than red wine and have vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and iron. Red grapes also contain fiber and natural hydration, whereas wine does not contain fiber.”
While red wine may provide some resveratrol, you should not start drinking it for this reason, as alcohol can lead to a wide range of health problems, including liver damage and an increased risk for cancer.
Can You Eat Too Many Grapes?
Grapes are nutritious fruits packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. However, they are also high in sugar and can raise your blood sugar level if you have diabetes, according to Kimberlain.
Kimberlain notes that everyone responds differently to foods. She advises her patients with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels two hours after eating a food and then again at four hours. This can help you decide if grapes are suitable for you or not.
She adds that pairing grapes with lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber can help keep blood sugar levels in the desired range.
For people with or without diabetes, Kimberlain says, “Grapes are high in fiber and natural sugar, so excessive consumption may lead to digestive discomfort, such as bloating, gas, or diarrhea.”
The Takeaway
Grapes are a versatile fruit that contains vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
The antioxidants in grapes in particular may help prevent inflammation, heart disease, and other health issues.
Grapes are high in carbohydrates. If eating grapes or drinking grape juice raises your blood sugar too much, consider reducing the proportion of grapes and adding foods with fat, protein, and fiber to your plate.
You can incorporate grapes into both sweet and savory dishes, such as salads, sorbets, and smoothies.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Zhou DD et al. Bioactive Compounds, Health Benefits and Food Applications of Grape. Foods. September 2022.
Brown K et al. Resveratrol for the Management of Human Health: How Far Have We Come? A Systematic Review of Resveratrol Clinical Trials to Highlight Gaps and Opportunities. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. January 2024.
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.
Yvette Brazier's career has focused on language, communication, and content production, particularly in health education and information. From 2005 to 2015, she supported learning in the health science department of a higher education establishment, teaching the language of health, research, and other language application skills to paramedic, pharmacy, and medical imaging students.
From 2015 to 2023, Yvette worked as a health information editor at Medical News Today and Healthline. Yvette is now a freelance writer and editor, preparing content for Everyday Health, Medical News Today, and other health information providers.
