Dried Fruits - To boost your fiber and reduce weight.

Dried fruits including dried apricots, dried cranberries, raisins, dried dates, dried figs and blueberry, pack a big nutrient punch for their shrunken size. The reason is that nutrients and fiber are more concentrated when water is removed from fruit. For comparison, a half-cup of dried apricot halves has 4.7 grams of fiber, but the same amount of fresh apricot slices has 1.6 grams of fiber. Dried fruit is also a rich source of antioxidants and the B vitamin folate.

Overall, dried fruit can be a nutritious, convenient and portable snack, especially when mixed with nuts and eaten as trail mix. But if sugars, carbs or calories are of concern, be sure to count out your portion of dried fruit, as it can be easy to mindlessly nibble on it.