15 High-Fiber Fruits to Add to Your Diet

tray of fruit and champagne floating in pool — Flashpop / Getty Images

The days of fiber being stigmatized as an elderly supplement (you can see grandma with her spoon of Metamucil now, can't you?) are over and done. However, on average, Americans only consume about 15 grams of fiber daily or about 40 percent to 60 percent of the daily recommended intake (25g a day for women and 38g a day for men), which begs the question: what’s the best way to incorporate it into your diet?

Contrary to popular belief, traditional grains are not necessarily the best source of fiber, and some of the highest-fiber fruits and veggies put bread to shame when it comes to this key nutrient. We spoke to Dr. Sarina Kajani and dietitian Alissa Rumsey about to learn how to get the maximum boost from fibrous fruits. "The fiber content of fruits differ depending on their water content and how much of the fruit is actually indigestible by our bodies," says Kajani. "Fruit is an easy and tasty way of incorporating fiber into one's diet."

Keep scrolling to see how high-fiber fruits can brighten your day-to-day and your diet.

Meet the Expert

Dr. Sarina Kajani has a Ph.D. in Translational Medicine and Pharmacology from University College in Dublin, Ireland. She educates the masses on the benefits of fiber on Instagram and creates fiber-filled recipes on her Patreon.
Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and author of Unapologetic Eating. She specializes in intuitive eating and founded Alissa Rumsey Nutrition & Wellness.

5 High-Fiber Fruits — Michela Buttignol/BYRDIE

01 of 15

Raspberries

closeup of raspberry in mouth — Lucas Ottone / Stocksy

Raspberries hardly need any introduction when it comes to nutritional benefits, like their high volume of antioxidants and vitamins. They're no slouch when it comes to fiber, either. These little guys pack a whopping seven grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit (about a cup). Try integrating them as a mix-in for your yogurt, or grab some with a handful of chocolate chips for a decadent snack.

02 of 15

Mangoes

open faced mango on teal backdrop — Mohd Bakri Husain / EyeEm / Getty Images

With about 5.4 grams of fiber per mango, this exotic piece of produce is one of the highest-fiber fruits around—but it also contains a high amount of sugar, so don't gobble up too much. As a general rule of thumb, colorful and exotic fruits tend to score highly on the fiber scale; the brighter your fruit salad or morning smoothie, the better.

Smoothies are a great way to get in some of your five-a-day fruits and veggies. Plus, they can be a budget-friendly option, since buying frozen fruit is a little easier on the wallet than multiple cartons of fresh berries every week. "All fruits are good sources of fiber including fresh, frozen, and dried fruit," says Rumsey. Grab your blender!

03 of 15

Pears

Pears have been making a major comeback in desserts, cocktails, and seasonal dishes. With 5.5 grams of fiber per fruit, it's just one more reason to bump them to the top of the grocery list. They can also be a great addition to salads or leafy greens. "Off the top of my head, a great salad I’ve made in the past included salad leaves, fig, pear, and blue cheese," says Kajani. "Divine." We agree.

04 of 15

Blackberries

Much like raspberries, blackberries have long been celebrated for a host of nutritional benefits. Add fiber to the list: blackberries contain about 5g per 100g of fruit. Their relative tartness can be a welcome change if you've been buying a lot of sweeter options.

05 of 15

Figs

Yet another nutritional superstar, figs pack about 2.9 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit. That means that even just one large fig could account for 10 percent of your daily recommended intake. They make a great option for baking as well (Fig Newtons, anyone?). Rumsey suggests baking fruit into a tart, pie, or crisp. You'll still get the fiber benefits.

06 of 15

Guava

If you're looking to branch out into more geographically exotic produce, check out guava. With three grams of fiber per fruit, guava is an ideal addition to your breakfast bowl or healthy dessert lineup. As one of the highest-fiber fruits by density, it’s well worth adding to your tropical fruit repertoire.

07 of 15

Strawberries

closeup of strawberry in fingers — Emma Innocenti / Getty Images

Much like with blackberries and raspberries (or, let’s face it, just about any of the fruits on this list), eating strawberries hardly requires a twist of the arm. But in case you need one more reason to add this luscious pick to your diet, strawberries contain about two grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit.

Mixing up your produce picks from week to week will keep your fruit-eating habit from feeling rote. "The fiber content varies slightly between fruits, so your best bet is to try to eat a variety of fruit week over week," says Rumsey. "For example, one week you may buy apples and strawberries; then the next week try to get different fruits like tart cherries and kiwis."

08 of 15

Pomegranate

Pomegranate juice has a well-known reputation for being both great for you and delicious, so it follows that the rest of the fruit would have great benefits as well. This natural wonder packs over 11 grams of fiber per fruit. Even just the seeds will pack a nutritious punch. "Pomegranate seeds can be added to savory salads for a nutritious and contrasting yet complementary flavor," suggests Kajani.

09 of 15

Apples

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is really not a lie, friends. At 4.5 grams per medium-sized fruit, you'll have almost 20 percent of your daily value knocked out with just one. Eat it whole or slice it up—just be sure to leave the skin on, because that's where most of the fibrous goodness exists.

10 of 15

Kiwis

kiwi halves on light pink backdrop — Flavia Morlachetti / Getty Images

A fruit that's "cuddly" has never been high on anyone's priority list, but here kiwi is, giving you things you never knew you needed. These fuzzy delights have three grams of fiber per fruit and are great mixed in with most other entries on this list, but especially strawberries.

11 of 15

Avocado

We know them, we love them, and now we have another reason to eat them. Avocados pack a whopping 7.5 grams of fiber per fruit; we know that a whole avocado can be a lot for just one serving of toast in the morning, but feel good about even half of one providing a healthy dose of fiber.

12 of 15

Passionfruit

Another seed-filled fruit like the pomegranate, passionfruit also contains 10g of fiber per fruit, making it a big bang for the buck. Try making your own popsicles by blending one with milk or yogurt and then freezing, suggests Rumsey, so you can have a little taste of the tropics whenever you like.

If you're trying to up your fiber intake, it's imperative that you do it gradually, says Kajani. "The gut microbiome is not equipped to deal with a sudden injection of fiber if it’s not something you regularly consume. The microbiome needs time to adjust to the increased ingestion of fiber and build up the bacterial populations to digest the fiber," she cautions. Soups and smoothies are a great way to start because the fiber is already partially broken down by blending or cooking, which will keep your gut healthy.

13 of 15

Oranges

Sliced orange — Photo by am JD on Unsplash

Get a fiber boost along with your daily dose of vitamin C. Oranges have 2.5 grams a fiber per serving, and they make another excellent addition to salads. If you're juicing, leave it extra pulpy.

14 of 15

Grapefruits

Sitting down for breakfast with a grapefruit and a spoon will help start your day off right. Half of a large grapefruit has 2g of fiber in it. Try pairing it with some toast and nut butter for a serving of protein as well.

15 of 15

Starfruit

A gold star is in order for all your work to incorporate these fruits, and here it is, literally. Starfruit contains 3g of fiber per fruit. What a pick-me-up for a mid-day treat.

Fill Up On These 17 High-Fiber Foods

Article Sources

Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.

Quagliani D, Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America's Fiber Intake Gap: Communication Strategies From a Food and Fiber Summit. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016;11(1):80-85. doi:10.1177/1559827615588079
Burton-Freeman BM, Sandhu AK, Edirisinghe I. Red Raspberries and Their Bioactive Polyphenols: Cardiometabolic and Neuronal Health Links. Adv Nutr. 2016;7(1):44-65. doi:10.3945/an.115.009639