Fruits high in fibre: a New Zealand guide
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Fruit is one of the easiest ways to add fibre to your day, but some fruits do a lot more work than others. Here's how much fibre is in the fruit you'll find in New Zealand supermarkets and backyards, using New Zealand's own food composition data, plus simple ways to get more of it.
How much fibre do you need?
The Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand set an adequate intake of 25 g of dietary fibre a day for women and 30 g for men. Health NZ recommends at least 2 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables every day. A serving of fruit is about a handful, or one medium apple, pear, banana or orange.
Only about half of New Zealand adults (49% in the 2021/22 NZ Health Survey) eat 2 or more servings of fruit a day, so there's room for most of us to do better. Our guide to how much fibre you need a day covers the rest of the plate.
Fibre in common NZ fruit
Figures are from the New Zealand Food Composition Tables (14th edition, 2021). Fibre varies with variety, ripeness and size, so treat these as a guide.
| Fruit | Typical serve | Fibre per serve | Fibre per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackberries | 1 cup (123 g) | 7.5 g | 6.1 g |
| Prunes | 10 prunes (84 g) | 6.6 g | 7.8 g |
| Avocado (Hass) | 1 small (122 g) | 6.3 g | 5.1 g |
| Blueberries | 1 cup (157 g) | 6.1 g | 3.9 g |
| Raspberries (frozen) | 1 cup (103 g) | 4.5 g | 4.4 g |
| Dates, dried | 10 pitted (53 g) | 4.1 g | 7.8 g |
| Pear, skin on | 1 pear (122 g) | 3.9 g | 3.2 g |
| Apple, skin on | 1 apple (163 g) | 3.3 g | 2.0 g |
| Strawberries | 1 cup (175 g) | 3.2 g | 1.8 g |
| Dried apricots | 5 halves (38 g) | 2.8 g | 7.4 g |
| Orange | 1 orange (141 g) | 2.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Passionfruit | 1 passionfruit (18 g pulp) | 2.5 g | 13.9 g |
| Dried fig | 1 fig (16 g) | 2.3 g | 14.3 g |
| Green kiwifruit | 1 kiwifruit (93 g) | 2.2 g | 2.3 g |
| Banana | 1 medium (111 g) | 2.0 g | 1.8 g |
| Tamarillo (red) | 1 tamarillo (60 g) | 2.0 g | 3.3 g |
| Feijoa | 1 feijoa (42 g) | 1.3 g | 3.0 g |
| Gold kiwifruit | 1 kiwifruit (90 g) | 1.0 g | 1.1 g |
| Mandarin | 1 mandarin (61 g) | 0.8 g | 1.4 g |
The standouts
Berries
Blackberries are the fibre champion of the fruit bowl, with about 7.5 g in a cup. Blueberries and raspberries aren't far behind, and frozen berries count, so they're an easy year-round option for porridge and smoothies.
Pears and apples (keep the skin on)
A pear with its skin has nearly 4 g of fibre. An apple with its skin has 2 g per 100 g, but peeled it drops to 1.4 g, so a lot of the fibre is in or just under the skin.
Avocado
We don't always think of avocado as fruit, but a small Hass avocado has over 6 g of fibre, more than most fruit in the table.
Dried fruit
Drying concentrates fibre (and sugar) into a smaller package. Prunes, dates, dried figs and dried apricots are all high in fibre per 100 g, so a small handful goes a long way.
Kiwifruit
Green kiwifruit has more than twice the fibre of gold kiwifruit (2.3 g versus 1.1 g per 100 g). It's also one of the most studied fruits for fibre. In 2025 the European Commission authorised Zespri's health claim about green kiwifruit and normal bowel function, the first health claim approved for a fresh fruit in the EU. It's based on eating 200 g of green kiwifruit flesh a day, about two kiwifruit.
Feijoas and tamarillos
Two Kiwi favourites. A feijoa has about 1.3 g of fibre and a tamarillo about 2 g. They're not the highest, but in autumn they're often free over the back fence, and that counts for a lot.
Easy ways to eat more fruit fibre
- Eat it whole. Juicing removes most of the fibre. Blend whole fruit into smoothies instead.
- Keep the skins on apples, pears and kiwifruit if you like them that way (wash them first).
- Keep frozen berries in the freezer for porridge, yoghurt and smoothies.
- Pair fruit with other fibre. Kiwifruit on porridge with a spoon of chia seeds makes a high-fibre breakfast.
- Go up gradually and drink water. If you're adding a lot of fibre, give your body a week or two to adjust.
Where a fibre blend fits
Fruit and vegetables come first. If your day often runs short, a fibre blend can top it up. One serve of Qenda Ultimate Fibre provides 14.7 g of dietary fibre (49% of the daily intake), and Everyday Fibre provides 10.6 g. Both are psyllium husk plus certified organic roots, herbs and seaweeds, including hibiscus and rosehip. As part of a healthy diet with a variety of foods, dietary fibre contributes to regular bowel movements.
FAQ
Which fruit has the most fibre?
Of everyday fresh fruit in New Zealand, blackberries, avocado, blueberries and raspberries have the most per serve. Per 100 g, dried fruit such as figs, prunes and dates are highest.
Is green or gold kiwifruit higher in fibre?
Green. It has about 2.3 g per 100 g, compared with 1.1 g in gold kiwifruit.
Does fruit juice count towards fibre?
Barely. Most of the fibre is lost in juicing, so whole fruit is the better choice.
Are bananas high in fibre?
Moderately. A medium banana has about 2 g, similar to a kiwifruit or a tamarillo.
Sources: New Zealand Food Composition Tables, Concise 14th edition (Plant & Food Research and Ministry of Health, 2021); Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand (dietary fibre); Health NZ eating guidance; NZ Health Survey 2021/22; Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1560 (green kiwifruit); Qenda product labels. This article is general information, not medical advice.