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We Graded Every Canned Fruit A–F. The Packing Liquid Is the Whole Story.

Canned fruit gets unfairly lumped in with junk, but it keeps most of fresh fruit’s vitamins and fiber — the only real variable is what it’s swimming in. We graded the popular cans on the same 6-dimension Labelgrade, and the packing liquid sorted the whole list: fruit packed in 100% juice or a “lite” syrup leads, while heavy syrup bolts dessert-level sugar onto otherwise-fine fruit and anchors the bottom. It’s still fruit — naturally sugary, no protein — so even the best caps at a B-. Two honest moves cover almost all of it: choose “in juice,” and drain it.

The verdict

We graded 5 canned fruits A–F: the category averages 69/100 (C+), from 72 (B-) at the top down to 66 (C+) at the bottom.

Packing liquid is the whole game: Del Monte Sliced Pears in lite syrup top the list at B- (72), while Del Monte Sliced Peaches in Heavy Syrup land last at C+ (66). Same fruit, dragged down by the added sugar in the can rather than the peach.

Top of the class B- Del Monte Del Monte, Sliced Pears, Lite, Lite 72/100
Bottom of the class C+ Del Monte Foods Inc. Del Monte, Sliced Peaches In Heavy Syrup 66/100

The top picks, with the receipts

#1 Del Monte Del Monte, Sliced Pears, Lite, Lite B- 72/100

Pros

  • Low sodium at 5 mg
  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • Only 2 g fiber
  • Only 0 g protein per serving

#2 Dole Packaged Foods Llc Pineapple Chunks In 100% Pineapple Juice B- 71/100

Pros

  • No sodium
  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • Only 1 g fiber
  • Only 1 g protein per serving

#3 Del Monte Del Monte, Fruit Cocktail In Extra Light Syrup, Lite B- 70/100

Pros

  • Low sodium at 5 mg
  • No saturated fat

Cons

  • Only 1 g fiber
  • Only 0 g protein per serving

#4 Dole Mandarin Oranges In 100% Fruit Juice C+ 67/100

Pros

  • Low sodium at 4.9 mg
  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • Only 1 g fiber
  • Only 1 g protein per serving

#5 Del Monte Foods Inc. Del Monte, Sliced Peaches In Heavy Syrup C+ 66/100

Pros

  • Low sodium at 5.1 mg
  • No saturated fat
  • Clean, short ingredient list

Cons

  • Only 1 g fiber
  • Only 0 g protein per serving

Pros and cons come straight from each product’s own label. A dimension is listed only when its sub-score is decisive (78 or above for a pro, 62 or below for a con), so a merely-average number never gets sold as a strength. Every figure is per labeled serving — full panels on each product page.

The full report card — all 5 canned fruits, ranked

#Canned fruitGradeScoreWeakest link
1 Del Monte — Del Monte, Sliced Pears, Lite, Lite B- 72 fiber (41/100)
2 Dole Packaged Foods Llc — Pineapple Chunks In 100% Pineapple Juice B- 71 fiber (36/100)
3 Del Monte — Del Monte, Fruit Cocktail In Extra Light Syrup, Lite B- 70 fiber (36/100)
4 Dole — Mandarin Oranges In 100% Fruit Juice C+ 67 added sugar (20/100)
5 Del Monte Foods Inc. — Del Monte, Sliced Peaches In Heavy Syrup C+ 66 added sugar (16/100)

Worth a closer look

The two ends of the list tell the story. Del Monte Del Monte, Sliced Pears, Lite, Lite tops the class at 72/100 (B-); Del Monte Foods Inc. Del Monte, Sliced Peaches In Heavy Syrup anchors the bottom at 66/100 (C+). Click any product for its full fact sheet — the six dimension sub-scores, the per-serving label, and what would move its grade. Prefer to slice it yourself? Filter every graded product by the dimension you care about.

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How we graded these

Each product is scored on six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — combined into a 0–100 score and a letter grade. Every number comes from the product’s own label, verified against USDA FoodData Central. The grade is absolute (relative to all packaged foods), which is why a whole category can land in the same band. See the full methodology. Last graded 2026-06-04.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which canned fruit scored best?

The lite-syrup and packed-in-100%-juice cans led — Del Monte Sliced Pears (Lite) edged Dole Pineapple Chunks and the extra-light fruit cocktail. See the ranked table above for the exact order and each can’s weakest dimension. The pattern is simple: the lighter the liquid, the higher the grade.

Why did the heavy-syrup peaches score lowest?

Heavy syrup is mostly added sugar, and added sugar is one of our six dimensions. The Del Monte Sliced Peaches in Heavy Syrup carry the same good fruit as the rest, but the syrup adds dessert-level sugar that the score counts — so they landed at the bottom. Buy the same fruit “in juice” and the grade climbs.

Is canned fruit healthy?

Mostly yes — it keeps most of fresh fruit’s vitamins and fiber, and it’s cheap and shelf-stable. The catch is the liquid: “in juice” or “lite” is close to fresh, while heavy syrup tacks on sugar you don’t need. Even the best caps at B- here because fruit is naturally sugary and brings no protein — that’s the absolute scale, not a knock on fruit.

How is the grade calculated?

Six dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, fiber, and saturated fat — into a 0–100 score and a letter grade, from each product’s own label, verified against USDA data. See our methodology page.

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