Give 'em a Raspberry

Most Americans only eat 14 to 17 g of fiber per day; add just an additional 10 g and reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent, according to a Netherlands study. Dietary fiber helps reduce total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost weight loss.

One easy fix: Top your oatmeal (½ cup dry has 4 g fiber) with 1 cup of raspberries (8 g) and you get 12 g of fiber in just one meal.

Try some of these other potent fiber-rich foods:

• ½ cup of 100 percent bran cereal (8.8 g), 
• ½ cup of cooked lentils (7.8 g), 
• ½ cup of cooked black beans (7.5 g), 
• one medium sweet potato (4.8 g), 
• one small pear (4.3 g).