Low in calories and rich in nutrients, pears make healthy snacks, desserts and additions to breakfast. A number of pear varieties are in season August through February in the Northern Hemisphere. While sweeter, juicier varieties such as anjou and forelle are ideal for snacking, firmer varieties including bosc and yellow bartlett hold their shape better for cooking. However you eat your pears, leave the skin on to get more of the fruit's health-supportive fiber.
Calories
A 100-g serving of raw pears provides 58 calories, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database, so a medium-sized pear of 178 g will give you 103 calories. While canned pears packed in light syrup provide around the same amount of calories as raw pears, 100 g of canned pears packed in heavy syrup contains 74 calories. Carbohydrates provide 98 percent of the caloric energy in pears.
Macronutrients
A 100-g serving of raw pears provides slightly more than 15 g carbohydrates, while a 178-g medium-sized pear contains 27 g carbohydrates. Raw pears are rich in fiber, with 3 g fiber per 100 g of pears or 5.5 g fiber in a medium-sized pear. Canning reduces the pear's fiber content, however, and 100 g of canned pears provides only 1.6 g fiber. Like most fruits, pears are low in protein and fat, with just 0.38 g of protein and 0.12 g of fat in 100 g of raw pears.
Vitamins and Minerals
A 100-g serving of raw pears provides 4.2 mg of vitamin C, 23 IU of vitamin A and 4.5 micrograms of vitamin K. Pears contain several B-complex vitamins. From 100 g of pears you'll get 0.025 mg of riboflavin, or vitamin B-2, and 0.157 mg of niacin, or vitamin B-3. Pears also provide minerals, including 0.082 mg of copper, important for blood production and healthy bones, and 119 mg potassium, necessary for healthy bones and normal muscle function. Canning lowers the nutrient content in pears. A 100-g serving of pears packed in heavy syrup contains just 1.1 mg of vitamin C and pears in light syrup contain 0.7 mg of vitamin C; neither contains vitamin A.
Pears in Your Diet
Men older than 18 need at least 90 mg of vitamin C daily, while women in this age group need at least 75 mg, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. One 178-g medium-sized pear provides around 5 percent of men's daily vitamin C requirement and around 6 percent of women's. Adults should get 900 micrograms copper daily and a medium-sized pear provides around 9 percent of this amount. If you need 2,000 calories a day, you'll need 28 g fiber each day, advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so one medium-sized raw pear provides around 20 percent of your required daily fiber. Because fiber helps you feel fuller longer, high-fiber foods such as pears can be helpful if you're trying to eat less in order to lose weight.
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