5 power foods: boost your nutrition and maintain an ideal weight by getting more of these superstar foods into your meals

Shape, Jan, 2005 by Elizabeth Somer

All it takes is 1 serving (1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked) a day.

5 whole grains

Whole-wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat noodles

The facts Slice for slice, whole-grain breads have four and a half times the fiber, five times the magnesium, four times the zinc, and seven times the vitamin [B.sub.6] of white bread. Fiber-rich whole grains lower your risk for everything from heart disease and cancer to diabetes and hypertension. Thanks to their fiber, they fill you up without filling you out. "Whole grains also come packed with phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds and phytoestrogens, that lower disease risk. These health-enhancing phytochemicals are removed when grains are processed," Blumberg adds.

Up the ante Eat oatmeal or whole-grain ready-to-eat cereal for breakfast; use 100 percent whole-wheat bread and rolls for sandwiches. Try whole-wheat or buckwheat noodles instead of white in pasta dishes. Swap instant brown rice or whole-grain couscous for white rice in pilafs and stuffings. Experiment with novel grains. For example, try quinoa in stuffed bell peppers, wild rice in salads and amaranth in soups.

All it takes is 5 servings per day (a serving equals 1 slice of bread or half a cup of cooked grain).

By Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is editor of Nutrition Alert, a newsletter that summarizes current nutrition research. Her website is elizabethsomer.com.