In general, fiber is a healthy thing, it acts as food for your gut bacteria.
Most people want to get more fiber in their diet, although it is possible to go overboard, which can lead to some discomfort.
I collected nutritional data for dozens of fruits from the USDA’s nutrition database so that we can look at how much fiber is in each fruit.
From there, you can optimize your diet according to how much fiber you actually want to consume.
Table of Contents
How Much Fiber Do You Need Per Day?
There’s no standardized RDA for fiber, but the most common recommended amount that I’ve seen is to aim for at least 25 grams per day for women, and 38 grams for men.
Getting more than that is generally not a problem as long as you transition to higher amounts slowly over time so your gut bacteria can adapt.
Amount of Fiber in Fruits (Table)
Now let’s take a look at the data.
The fiber in the table below is per 100 gram serving of each fruit.
| Food | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|
| Date | 6.67 |
| Blackberry | 5.28 |
| Durian | 3.79 |
| Cranberry | 3.60 |
| Pear | 3.09 |
| Fig | 2.91 |
| Banana | 2.57 |
| Apple | 2.42 |
| Orange | 2.38 |
| Cherry | 2.10 |
| Apricot | 2.00 |
| Strawberry | 2.00 |
| Tangerine | 1.83 |
| Nectarine | 1.73 |
| Plantain | 1.70 |
| Mango | 1.61 |
| Jackfruit | 1.52 |
| Peach | 1.47 |
| Pineapple | 1.43 |
| Plum | 1.36 |
| Grapefruit | 1.10 |
| Pummelo | 1.00 |
| Cantaloupe | 0.88 |
| Grapes | 0.82 |
| Melon | 0.80 |
It’s not surprising that dried fruits like dates, figs, and raisins have a relatively high amount of fiber. They have little water per 100 gram serving, so the fiber is essentially concentrated. However, this also means that they are quite high in sugar as well.
Which Fruit is Highest in Fiber?
If we only look at non-dried foods, the fruits highest in fiber are:
- Blackberry
- Durian
- Cranberry
- Pear
- Banana
- Apple
They all have at least 2-5 grams of fiber per 100 gram serving.
Comparing that to the recommended amount of fiber we looked at before, it’s clear that while fruits have a significant amount of fiber, they usually only make a small amount of daily intake. You’d have to eat several bananas (one banana is just over 100 grams) to get 25 grams of fiber.
Do Other Types of Foods Have More Fiber Than Fruits?
There are many better plant-based sources of fiber if someone specifically is trying to get more.
In general, the 3 best types of foods for fiber are:
- Seeds – Just about all seeds are high in fiber, but the best ones are chia seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
- Grains – Most grains have a solid amount of fiber, with oats, rye, and buckwheat all near the top of the list.
- Nuts – Surprisingly, nuts actually have a lot of fiber. The nuts highest in fiber are pistachios, pecans, and hazelnuts. The one drawback is that nuts are also very high in calories.
Unless you need a really high level of fiber, eating a diverse diet of whole plant-based foods will be relatively high in fiber.
If you eat a diet like this, it’s easy to get 50 grams of fiber or more in a day without even planning for it.
And if you can do that, you can reap the benefits of fiber, including:
- Most stable appetite
- Lower risk of heart disease and even some kinds of cancer
- More regular bowel movements
