Sweetness Guide to Mandarin Oranges

When you're yearning for a sugary treat that is low in calories, portable and packed with vitamins, you might want to try mandarin oranges. In fact, Dr. Andrew Weil says on his website that you can use the glycemic index to guide you to sweet goodies--such as mandarins--that are actually good for you.

Sugars

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that one small mandarin orange contains just over 8g of sugars. About 1/2 of that total comes from sucrose, and the rest is from glucose and fructose.

Glycemic Index

• The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates by how quickly they raise a person's blood sugar levels. According to Weil, "consuming lots of high glycemic index foods increases your risk of developing insulin resistance, an underlying cause of obesity, high cholesterol and adult-onset diabetes." Although mandarin oranges are sugary and sweet, they are listed at only 41 in the GI and categorized as a low GI food.

Glycemic Load

• The glycemic load (GL) measures a food's carbohydrates as well as serving size. Two mandarin oranges count as one portion. That portion has a GL of six and is considered a low glycemic load food.

Features

• Mandarin oranges are small with thin, loose skin; seedless mandarins are called clementines. These oranges are natives of Southeast Asia and now are cultivated around the world.

Nutritional Breakdown

• A small mandarin orange is about 37 calories and provides 31 percent of the total percent daily value of vitamin C, as well as 10 percent of vitamin A and 3 percent of calcium. Percent daily values are calculated by the USDA based on key nutrient recommendations for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.