Calories in Pears, Fruit

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Created on 01, October, 2008

A list of top foods in a major financial newspaper describes pears as “low in calories.” 

To be “low in calories” a food can have no more than 40 calories per reference amount, which is one small-to-medium pear (almost 6 oz), a portion that contains about 100 calories. Any ripe fruit will be sweet, and that sweetness comes from sugar, which provides plenty of calories. Very few fruits are technically “low in calories” for that reason. Asian pears, which are less sweet and contain more water, are close. Most vegetables (not including root vegetables and tubers), however, are low in calories, because they are mostly water and not very sweet. Examples are cucumber, celery, leafy greens, and even tomatoes. But just because a fruit is not low in calories does not mean it isn’t healthy and full of other nutrients (vitamins, potassium, fiber, etc). In fact, some very sweet fruits, such as strawberries, are among the most nutritious foods around.