green pears in large harvesting binsAs a registered dietitian nutritionist and self-proclaimed foodie, I love pears because they’re both nutritious and delicious. Many might not know the nutritional benefits of pears, but they are a powerful fruit with a variety of uses.

Pear Nutritional Benefits

Did you know that one medium pear packs in 21% of the daily value for fiber, 8% Vitamin C, and 4% potassium?! That’s almost ¼ of your daily fiber needs! Fiber is important for managing your blood sugar levels, keeping you full and satiated, and supporting your gastrointestinal health. That’s right, fiber helps keep you regular and it helps reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

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Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps support the immune system, is essential for healing, and helps with iron absorption. Vitamin C isn’t the only antioxidant that pears boast, the peel (or skin) of the pear is packed with polyphenols (especially flavonoids, like anthocyanins), which help protect against damaging free radicals that are associated with chronic disease.

Potassium is essential for maintaining fluid balance, supporting the nervous system, and controlling muscle contractions, like your heartbeat! It also plays an important role in lowering blood pressure.

Nutritional Pear Recipes

Beyond the nutritional benefits of pears, they are crisp, sweet, and buttery, lending themselves to both sweet and savory dishes! Try them in a Harvest Buddha Bowl, Healthy Crock Pot Soup, or Chai Pear Kombucha. Pears are great in baked goods, tarts, salads, smoothies, compotes, or sautéed with pork chops.

My most recent favorite way to use pears is with my pumpkin pear bread. Think dense, moist pumpkin bread with cozy warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, studded with sweet, juicy pears, and pecans if you like a satisfying crunch and nutty flavor. Perfectly delicious as is but extra tasty when served warm or toasted with a schmear of butter.

Bake a loaf to serve at your next holiday party or for a weekend brunch at home and don’t forget to leave a review!

Pumpkin Pear Bread

Pumpkin Pear Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 large or 2 small Stemilt Bartlett pears, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 cups white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Optional: 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Think dense, moist pumpkin bread with cozy warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, studded with sweet, juicy Bartlett pears. Perfectly delicious as is but extra tasty when served warm or toasted with a schmear of butter.

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  • Yield
    8 pieces, 1 loaf servings
  • Prep time
  • Cook time
  • Total time
  • Cuisine
    American
  • In Category
    Baking, Dessert

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and Greek yogurt until smooth.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Fold in pear, and pecans, if using
  6. Transfer batter to loaf pan and bake until browned and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 60-75 minutes.
  7. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving

  • Calories: 290
  • Fat Content: 2.8g
  • Cholesterol Content: 42mg
  • Sodium Content: 248mg
  • Carbohydrate Content: 63.5g
  • Fiber Content: 4.7g
  • Sugar Content: 40.5g
  • Protein Content: 6.8g

Kara Lydon

Kara is a nationally recognized and award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, yoga teacher, and the owner of Kara Lydon Nutrition. Kara believes that the key to authentic health and wellbeing is to celebrate food and our bodies, a positive philosophy that she actively practices and instills through the kitchen, yoga studio, working one-on-one with clients, on her food and healthy living blog, The Foodie Dietitian, and in her e-book, Nourish Your Namaste: How Nutrition and Yoga Can Support Digestion, Immunity, Energy and Relaxation. Her blog features delicious, nourishing seasonal recipes and simple strategies for a well-nourished life, and has been featured in countless national online publications. IG: @karalydonrd

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