When it comes to eating more fiber, you might think of beans, wheat bran, or hearty grains like steel-cut oats, but these aren’t your only options. The best fruits for fiber can rival these savory staples for supporting digestion, promoting gut health, managing blood sugar, and helping you feel fuller between meals.

“Fruits can be a great source of fiber, especially if you eat the whole fruit, such as apples with the skin, kiwis with the skin, pear with the skin, etc.,” says Shelley Balls, MDA, RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian at Fueling Your Lifestyle. Depending on the type, fruit can significantly contribute to your daily fiber goals. “For example, one cup of raspberries provides 8 grams of fiber, compared to 1 cup of broccoli providing 5 grams,” says Balls.

Unlike many high-fiber foods that require time to prep and cook, fruit can be a fiber-rich option that is ready to eat. Some fruits provide more fiber than others, so we asked dietitians and nutritionists to help us identify the most beneficial picks. They shared their favorite fruits for fiber and simple and creative ways to enjoy them. From apples to berries, these sweet selections make it easy and delicious to support your health every day.

What Is Fiber and Why It’s Good For You

Fiber is a powerhouse nutrient that plays an essential role in supporting overall health and reducing the risk of many chronic diseases. Found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, “[fiber] is a type of carbohydrate that our body can’t digest, which means it helps with digestion by adding bulk to stool and promoting regular bowel movements,” says Kait Richardson, RDN, LD an Orlando-based registered dietitian at Nutrition Awareness.

“Fiber is also great for gut health and maintaining a healthy microbiome, which is essential for everything from digestion to immune function. It keeps us feeling full longer, making it a great tool for weight management. And by stabilizing blood sugar levels, fiber helps with cravings and supports blood sugar control, which is particularly beneficial for those managing type 2 diabetes,” she adds.

Raspberries

Incredibly versatile and delicious, raspberries are one of the best fruits for fiber, boasting 8 grams of fiber per cup. “Raspberries are also packed with anthocyanins, which is a type of polyphenol that acts as an antioxidant and helps decrease inflammation. Raspberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, another important nutrient that acts as an antioxidant and helps support a healthy immune system and healing,” says Balls. 

How to Eat

“Enjoy fresh raspberries in fruit parfaits, smoothies, on top of ice cream, in your overnight oats or breakfast cereal, as a topping to sweet treats, or simply eaten plain (they are just that good fresh out of the garden),” says Balls.

Blackberries

This bush-grown berry contains 7.6 grams of fiber per cup and shares many of the same healthful properties as raspberries. “Blackberries are also packed with anthocyanins and are an excellent source of vitamin C,” says Balls. 

How to Eat

“Enjoy them plain as a snack or top your Greek yogurt with them, add them into smoothies, or add them into baked goods, like in these Blackberry Crumb Bars,” says Balls.

Apples

An apple a day can help keep your digestive health on track! This popular fruit contains a little over 5 grams of fiber with the skin. Make sure you keep the peel on because that’s where the prebiotic fiber lives. “Apples provide an excellent source of prebiotic fiber, a type of fiber that helps feed probiotics to support a healthy digestive system,” says Balls.

How to Eat

“My kids and I enjoy apple slices dipped in peanut butter yogurt dip (1:1 ratio of creamy peanut butter and vanilla Greek yogurt mixed really well), or enjoyed alongside a salty snack, which actually provides benefits if the snack in higher in fat as the pectin helps absorb the fat so it doesn’t go into your bloodstream,” says Balls.

Pears

A large pear provides about 7 grams of fiber, while a medium one contains 5.5 grams. “Pears are a good source of vitamin C and a good source of copper, an important nutrient for many functions in the body such as energy production, iron absorption, the formation of red blood cells, collagen, and connective tissue health. Copper is also an important nutrient for thyroid health.”

How to Eat

Besides snacking on pears, Balls suggests sliced pears for breakfast, atop oats or granola and yogurt. For a decadent option, try these Quick and Easy Caramelized Pears to serve on top of ice cream or with whipped cream.

Figs

Fresh figs, with their velvety purple skin and delicate pink flesh, provide about 4.5 grams of fiber per three medium figs. They also deliver key minerals: “Figs have been shown to promote bone health as they are a good source of magnesium, potassium, and calcium. If you follow a vegan diet, I would highly recommend figs for their bone-promoting nutrients!” suggests Balls.

How to Eat

Fresh figs are a great addition to a cheese plate or simply enjoy them with goat cheese as a snack. Add them to green leafy salads or halve and serve them over ice cream or yogurt.

Oranges

Best known for their vitamin C content, oranges are also a surprisingly good source of fiber, with 4.5 grams of fiber per large fruit. This citrus “also provides potassium, which regulates blood pressure. Plus, oranges also have flavonoids and carotenoids which protect the body against free radicals which cause chronic disease,” says Amy Goldsmith, RD, LDN, a sports nutrition expert and the owner of Kindred Nutrition & Kinetics.

How to Eat

Peel and enjoy an orange as is, serve in a refreshing Fennel and Orange salad, or blend into a creamy Orange-Vanilla Shake. 

Avocados

Yes, avocados are technically fruits, and they are among the best fruits for fiber. One whole avocado contains nearly 14 grams, or 4.5 grams per 1/3 serving. In addition to their fiber content, they’re “a great source of vitamin K and vitamin B6.

How to Eat

Enjoy half a ripe avocado with a drizzle of olive oil as snack or make yourself a slice of avocado toast on whole grain bread for a double whammy of fiber.

Pomegranates

With around 600 edible seeds (called arils) in each fruit, pomegranates are rich in both flavor and fiber. A 1/2-cup serving offers 3.5 grams of fiber. “Pomegranates are rich in magnesium and folate, which contributes to red blood cell formation and cell growth and development during pregnancy,” says Goldsmith.

How to Eat

Pomegranate seeds are great sprinkled on salad, yogurt, or in fruit salad.

Kiwis

Yes, you should keep the fuzzy skin on kiwi—it’s completely edible and it’s where a lot of the fiber lives! (Just be sure to give it a good rinse first.) One kiwi contains about 2 grams of fiber, enjoying two will give you 4.5 grams. Those two kiwis may also benefit your sleep. Kiwis are a natural source of serotonin, a brain chemical that plays a role in sleep quality, and some studies suggest that eating two kiwis a day may help promote longer, more restful sleep.

How to Eat

Slice kiwi as a topping for yogurt, blend it into a smoothie, toss with other tropical fruits in a fruit salad, or enjoy it on its own for a sweet, fiber-rich snack.

How to Get the Most From Your Fiber

To reap the full range of fiber’s benefits, Balls recommends enjoying a wide variety of plant-based fiber sources—not just fruit. “You’ll want to consume a variety of fiber-rich foods in your eating pattern such as nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables because they each provide a unique set of nutrients.” 

When possible, choose whole foods over supplements. “If you’re taking a fiber supplement in place of a balanced diet that includes adequate fiber, you’re not getting the antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, etc. that are also found in fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, says Balls. “You’ll get a better return on your investment when it comes to health if you eat your dietary fiber rather than a supplement,” she adds.