7 Foods That Do The Weight-Loss Work For You

Want to lose weight? Try increasing your daily fiber intake in the form of nutrient-rich high-fiber foods.
Why fiber? Recent research in the Journal of Nutrition suggests eating more fiber as a way to prevent weight gain or even encourage weight loss. Over the course of the two-year study, the researchers found that boosting fiber by 8 grams for every 1,000 calories resulted in about 4 1/2 pounds of weight lost.
Try it for yourself. If you're consuming 2,000 calories per day, aim to increase your fiber by 16 grams. Here are 7 fiber-rich foods that help do the weight-loss work for you.

Apples A medium apple (3-inch diameter) contains 4 grams of fiber; a large apple (31/4-inch diameter) has 5. Apples also offer a bit of vitamin C and potassium.

Green Beans One cup boasts 4 grams of fiber, plus a healthy dose (30% daily value) of skin-helping vitamin C.

Sweet Potatoes A medium-size baked sweet potato (2 inches wide, 5 inches long… a little larger than your computer mouse), skin included, offers 5 grams of fiber – for just 103 calories. It's also a nutrition powerhouse: providing 438% daily value of eye-healthy vitamin A (eat these foods to help you see more clearly), 37% daily value of vitamin C, plus some potassium, vitamin E, iron, magnesium and phytochemicals like beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Raspberries are a great source of fiber – some of it soluble in the form of pectin, which helps lower cholesterol. One cup of raspberries has 8 grams of fiber. Raspberries are also an excellent source of vitamin C.

Strawberries One cup of strawberries has a respectable 3 grams of fiber and more than a full day's recommended dose of vitamin C – an antioxidant that helps keep skin healthy.

Chickpeas Just 3/4 cup of chickpeas has a whopping 8 grams of fiber! You also get a good amount of vitamin B6 and folate, both of which play a role in forming healthy new cells.

Pumpkin A cup of cooked pumpkin contains 3 grams of fiber. You also get vitamin A (245% daily value), vitamins C, E and potassium.

HEALTH AND FITNESS