In this article
- Do pears have fiber in every size and variety?
- Pears next to other everyday fruit
- Canned and dried pears: myth vs fact
- What the fiber in a pear does for you
- Pears and a sensitive gut
- What else a pear brings
- How pears fit your daily fiber
- Your next step: swap in one pear
- Pears and fiber: common questions
- Sources
Do pears have fiber? More than most fruit in the bowl. A medium pear delivers about 5.5 grams, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which beats a medium apple at 4.8 grams and a banana at 3.2.
The twist is how well pears hold up after processing. A cup of canned pears packed in juice still brings about 4 grams, so even the pantry version counts.
Do pears have fiber in every size and variety?
USDA lists raw pears at 3.1 grams of fiber per 100 grams, with 57 calories. The total you get depends mostly on how big the fruit is and which variety you pick.
| Pear (source) | Portion | Fiber | % Daily Value | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pear, raw (DGA) | 1 medium | 5.5 g | 20% | 103 |
| Pear, raw (USDA) | 1 serving (166 g) | 5.2 g | 18% | 95 |
| Red Anjou (USDA) | 1 medium (157 g) | 4.7 g | 17% | 97 |
| Asian pear (DGA) | 1 medium | 6.5 g | 23% | 75 |
| Asian pear (USDA) | 1 small (122 g) | 4.4 g | 16% | 51 |
| Canned in juice (USDA) | 1 cup halves (248 g) | 4.0 g | 14% | 124 |
| Dried pear (USDA) | 1 half (18 g) | 1.4 g | 5% | 47 |
The FDA treats 20% of the Daily Value or more per serving as a high source of a nutrient. A medium pear sits right at that line, and a medium Asian pear clears it comfortably.
Variety makes a smaller difference than size. Red Anjou pears list 3.0 grams per 100 grams, almost the same as USDA’s general raw pear at 3.1 grams.
Why Asian pears stand out
USDA sizes a small Asian pear at about 2 1/2 inches across and 122 grams. It lists Asian pears at 3.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams with only 42 calories, since they’re about 88% water.
That combination gives Asian pears roughly 8.7 grams of fiber per 100 calories, second only to raspberries in the comparison below.
A medium Asian pear in the Dietary Guidelines list carries 6.5 grams for 75 calories. That’s a full gram more fiber than a medium regular pear while costing nearly 30 fewer calories.
Pears next to other everyday fruit
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans ranks fruit by fiber per standard portion. Here’s where pears land among fruit you’d find in most kitchens, with fiber per 100 calories added for a fairer comparison.
| Fruit (DGA portion) | Fiber | Calories | Fiber per 100 calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberries, 1 cup | 8.0 g | 64 | 12.5 g |
| Asian pear, 1 medium | 6.5 g | 75 | 8.7 g |
| Strawberries, 1 cup | 3.0 g | 49 | 6.1 g |
| Pear, 1 medium | 5.5 g | 103 | 5.3 g |
| Orange, 1 medium | 3.7 g | 73 | 5.1 g |
| Kiwifruit, 1 cup | 5.4 g | 110 | 4.9 g |
| Apple, 1 medium | 4.8 g | 104 | 4.6 g |
| Banana, 1 medium | 3.2 g | 112 | 2.9 g |
| Dried pears, 1/4 cup | 3.4 g | 118 | 2.9 g |
Per piece of fruit, a regular pear outscores the apple, orange and banana. Per calorie, berries and Asian pears pull ahead, while a standard pear stays in the solid middle.
Pear versus apple is the closest matchup. They carry nearly identical calories, so the pear’s extra 0.7 grams is a straight gain whenever you’d otherwise reach for an apple.
Wondering how one pear a day fits into your own fiber goal? Our fiber calculator works out a personal target in a few seconds.
Canned and dried pears: myth vs fact
Myth: Canned pears are just sugar water, with the fiber processed out.
Fact: A cup of juice-packed canned pear halves still holds about 4.0 grams of fiber in USDA data. The fiber per 100 grams drops to 1.6 grams, but that’s mostly because the juice counts in the weight.
Sugar is the trade off. That same cup carries about 24 grams of sugar, juice included, so a juice pack is the better pick if you buy canned. USDA lists heavy syrup packs at 74 calories per 100 grams against 50 for juice pack.
A half cup of juice-packed pears, a typical side portion, still gives about 2 grams of fiber for 62 calories. Keep the can in the pantry for days when the fruit bowl is empty.
Myth: Dried pears are a concentrated fiber shortcut.
Fact: Per 100 grams, dried pears do list 7.5 grams of fiber. But a quarter cup brings 3.4 grams for 118 calories, less fiber and more calories than one fresh pear, so the scoop is easy to overshoot.
What the fiber in a pear does for you
Mayo Clinic describes two main types of dietary fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material that can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose, while insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool and helps material move through your digestive system.
Fruit generally supplies a mix of both. Mayo lists fruits such as apples, bananas and citrus among sources of soluble fiber and notes that fiber works best when it absorbs water.
Pears add their own water to the deal. At about 84% water by weight, a pear arrives with plenty of fluid built in.
Mayo also points out that high fiber foods tend to be more filling and are often lower in calories per bite, which makes a pear a practical snack between meals.
Pears and a sensitive gut
Pears can be a mixed bag for sensitive digestion. Monash University lists pears among fruits particularly high in excess fructose, meaning they contain more fructose than glucose, which some people absorb poorly.
That puts pears in Monash’s high FODMAP fruit group, alongside apples and mangoes. For people following a low FODMAP plan for irritable bowel syndrome, Monash lists oranges, kiwifruit, mandarins and blueberries among the lower FODMAP fruit choices.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases also names pears, apples and peaches among the fruits that may cause excess gas. If pears leave you bloated, a smaller portion or a different fruit may sit better.
If fruit sometimes upsets your stomach, our gut health guides help you build fiber back in without the discomfort.
What else a pear brings
A pear isn’t a vitamin powerhouse, but it adds steady small amounts. USDA lists these per 166 gram serving:
- Copper: 0.14 mg, 15% DV
- Vitamin C: 7.1 mg, 8% DV
- Vitamin K: 7.3 µg, 6% DV
- Potassium: 193 mg, 4% DV
- Natural sugar: about 16 grams
Those 16 grams of sugar come packaged with about 5 grams of fiber, so you get roughly one gram of fiber for every three grams of sugar.
Whole pear vs pear nectar
Drinking your pear changes the math. USDA lists a cup of canned pear nectar at just 1.5 grams of fiber, with 150 calories and about 38 grams of sugar.
Compare that with a medium whole pear: more than three times the fiber, about a third fewer calories and less than half the sugar. If you like the flavor, eat the fruit and save the nectar for an occasional treat.
How pears fit your daily fiber
Mayo Clinic suggests about 25 grams of fiber a day for women 50 and younger and 38 grams for men, falling to 21 and 30 grams after 50. One medium pear covers about 22% of the 25 gram target.
Over a week, one pear a day adds about 38 grams of fiber. That matches a full day’s target for men 50 and younger, delivered one piece of fruit at a time.
Stack it with other foods and the total climbs. A pear at breakfast, a cup of raspberries at lunch and an Asian pear in the afternoon add up to 20 grams of fiber from fruit alone.
Pairings that build on a pear
A pear also makes an easy anchor for a snack or side. Using Dietary Guidelines figures, sliced pear with an ounce of whole wheat crackers comes to about 8.4 grams of fiber for 225 calories.
Toss diced pear into half a cup of cooked bulgur with herbs and you reach about 9.6 grams. Pair one with three cups of popcorn for a movie night snack, and the total lands near 11.3 grams.
Each of those combinations reaches at least 30% of the Daily Value, and the pear supplies more than half of the fiber in every case except the popcorn.
Mayo recommends raising fiber gradually and drinking plenty of water as you go. If you’re starting from a low base, add one pear a day for a week before layering in more.
Looking for more ways to use pears in breakfasts, salads and baking? Our recipe eBooks are full of easy, high-fiber ideas.
Your next step: swap in one pear
Pick the fruit you eat most often and swap one serving of it for a pear tomorrow. If that’s a banana, you gain about 2.3 grams of fiber; if it’s an apple, about 0.7 grams, for nearly the same calories.
Keep the swap going for a week and a banana eater gains about 16 grams of fiber without adding a single extra piece of fruit. Few changes to a fruit bowl pay off that easily.
Pears and fiber: common questions
How much fiber is in one pear?
A medium pear has about 5.5 grams of fiber, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That’s close to 20% of the 28 gram Daily Value for about 103 calories.
Do pears have more fiber than apples?
Yes, slightly. A medium pear has about 5.5 grams of fiber compared with 4.8 grams in a medium apple, and both have roughly 104 calories.
Which pear has the most fiber?
Asian pears lead. A medium Asian pear has about 6.5 grams of fiber for 75 calories, while common varieties such as Red Anjou list about 3.0 grams per 100 grams.
Do canned pears have fiber?
Yes. A cup of canned pear halves packed in juice has about 4.0 grams of fiber in USDA data, though it also carries about 24 grams of sugar with the juice.
Are pears good for constipation?
Pears supply fiber and water, both of which support regular bowel movements, and Mayo Clinic notes that insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool. Some people with sensitive guts find pears cause gas, so start with one a day.
Are pears low FODMAP?
No. Monash University lists pears as a high FODMAP fruit because they are high in excess fructose, and suggests fruits like oranges, kiwifruit or blueberries as lower FODMAP options.
Are dried pears high in fiber?
Dried pears have 7.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams, but a typical quarter cup gives 3.4 grams for 118 calories. A fresh medium pear provides more fiber for fewer calories.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. “Pears, raw (169118); Red Anjou (167777); Asian, raw (168177); canned, juice pack (169936); dried, sulfured (169121); canned, heavy syrup pack (169939); pear nectar, canned (169940).” FoodData Central, SR Legacy. 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Food Sources of Dietary Fiber.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025. dietaryguidelines.gov
- Monash University. “High and low FODMAP foods.” Monash FODMAP. 2019. www.monashfodmap.com
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Gas in the Digestive Tract.” 2021. www.niddk.nih.gov
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” Mayo Clinic, 2025. www.mayoclinic.org
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2024. www.fda.gov
