7 Fall Fruits to Help You Crush Your Fiber Goals

Whole fruits are generally considered a good source of dietary fiber. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines a “good” source of fiber as a food that delivers 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value per serving, with “high fiber” providing at least 20 percent of the recommended Daily Value.

Plenty of fall fruits meet the criteria. The seven below will help you make the most of your seasonal fibermaxxing opportunities.

1. Dried Figs

• Fiber per 100g serving: 9.8g

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“Figs contain both types of fibers — soluble and insoluble — plus potassium, calcium, and polyphenols,” says Sonya Angelone, PhD, RDN, a nutritionist and registered dietitian based in San Francisco. Drying increases the concentration of fiber.

Dried figs are delicious with oatmeal or yogurt, or added to trail mix. Just be mindful of portion sizes, Angelone recommends, given that the drying process concentrates the calories in figs as well as the fiber content.

2. Persimmons

• Fiber per one 2.5-inch fruit: 6.05g

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Persimmons are a tomato-like Japanese fruit that’s easiest to find at Asian and specialty grocers. Dietitians say it’s worth seeking out due to its high fiber and nutrient profile.

Angelone calls the persimmon “one of the highest fiber fruits,” noting that it also has health-promoting compounds such as carotenoids, vitamin C, and polyphenols.

Zhang suggests eating the skin for maximum fiber. You can add persimmons to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, or baked goods, per Angelone. “This is a great fall fruit,” she says.

3. Pears

• Fiber per one medium fruit: 5.52g

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Pears are a top choice for promoting bowel regularity. “They’re great for constipation,” Zhang says. This fruit contains soluble and insoluble fiber to help lower blood sugar after meals and manage cholesterol, per Angelone.

Angelone suggests mixing pears into smoothies, oatmeal, salads, and yogurt, or baking them with cinnamon as a dessert. “Eat the skin for more fiber,” Zhang adds.

4. Butternut Squash

• Fiber per 1-cup serving: 2.8g

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Butternut and other squashes are often viewed by the general public as vegetables, but they are technically fruits because they develop from the flowering part of the plant and contain seeds.

While a serving of butternut squash is on the lower end of the recommended amount of fiber per serving, adding the seeds and skin increases fiber levels.

“When you remove the seeds from pumpkin or other winter squash, they have the outer hull intact, which contributes to most of the fiber in the seed versus buying them hulled or shelled from the store,” says Candice Schreiber, RD, LD, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

Squash also provides beta carotene, iron, fiber, unsaturated fats, magnesium, and zinc, per Angelone.

She recommends roasting butternut squash with cinnamon or rosemary and sage, then using it in soups, grain bowls, and salads.

5. Apples

• Fiber per one medium fruit: 4.03g

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Zhang recommends eating apples with the skin to maximize fiber intake. You can pair the fruit with peanut butter or add it to oatmeal.

6. Pomegranate Seeds

• Fiber per 1/2-cup serving: 5.55g

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While pomegranate juice is popular, Zhang points out that it does not provide fiber.

“Sprinkle the arils on salad, yogurt, or oatmeal or eat plain as a crunchy snack,” Angelone says. She recommends eating the whole arils — including the inner seeds — to get the full amount of fiber.

7. Pumpkin Puree

• Fiber per 1/2-cup serving: 3.55g

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Like butternut squash, pumpkin is technically a fruit. “It contains beta-carotene, and soluble and insoluble fibers,” Angelone says. (She recommends choosing only pumpkin puree with no added sugar.)

As with butternut squash, you can add roasted pumpkin seeds to dishes you make with pumpkin puree for extra fiber, protein, and magnesium, per Angelone.

While pumpkin puree is a staple of baked goods, you can easily use it in pasta dishes, including mac and cheese, according to Zhang. Angelone also recommends mixing it into smoothies, oatmeal, soups, and pancake batter.

Fall fruit isn’t the only potential source of fiber to include in your diet. Vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are also good options, “so there’s no need to get all the fiber from fruits,” Zhang says.