
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 9, 1995                   TAG: 9508090083
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BUILD GOOD HEALTH WITH GRAINS, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Many of us were kids when we got acquainted with nutrition through the Basic Five Food Guide. In 1993, that standard was replaced by a new one called the Food Guide Pyramid. The pyramid shape of the new guide does a better job of showing how to proportion your choices among the different food groups.

One thing that's apparent is the emphasis on eating lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, pasta and breads. The pyramid recommends eating daily six to 11 servings of grains, two to four servings of fruits and three to five servings of vegetables. It's easier than you may think to meet these daily recommendations. Here's how:

Get a head start at breakfast

Drink a glass of fruit or vegetable juice.

Dig into a grapefruit half or melon wedge.

Spread whole-grain toast, English muffin halves or bagels with fruit spread.

Top cereal with fresh or dried fruit.

Serve French toast, waffles or pancakes with fruit.

Add green pepper, spinach and onion to scrambled eggs.

Cook up a bowl of steaming oatmeal in your microwave oven.

unch a bunch at lunch|

Choose whole-grain breads for sandwiches and spread them with low-fat spreads, such as nonfat salad dressing or mustard.

Add chopped green pepper or shredded carrot to sandwich fillings.

Pack sticks of fresh vegetables in take-along lunch bags.

For your favorite canned soups, stir in frozen mixed vegetables. Top with toasted whole-wheat bread cubes.

Put together a multicolored salad at the salad bar, but go easy on the dressing and cream salads.

Request a side of baked beans, three-bean salad or coleslaw.

Order thick-crust, whole-grain pizza with extra vegetable toppings (mushrooms, green pepper, zucchini). Hold the extra cheese.

Make dinner a winner

Toss leftover cooked vegetables and grains into lettuce salads. Top with plain croutons or broken melba toast.

Serve a basket of warm whole-grain rolls or crusty sliced bread with your main dish.

Center meals around potatoes, rice or pasta. Think of meat and cheese as condiments.

Serve pasta often. Add finely chopped eggplant, zucchini or carrots to the sauce.

Transform a plain baked potato into the main attraction. Scoop out the center and mix with such ingredients as steamed broccoli, mushrooms and onions. Fill the shells and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Grill vegetables alongside meat or make vegetable kebabs.

Poach fruit for dessert. Top it with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt and a sprinkling of spice.

Pack up a snack

Tote along carrot, zucchini, parsnip, kohlrabi or celery sticks, cauliflower and broccoli flowerets.

Crave a crunchy snack? Bread sticks, pretzels, low-sodium crackers, unbuttered popcorn and rice cakes are excellent choices.

Munch on air-popped popcorn. Microwave and packaged popped popcorn can be high in fat.

Serve low-fat dips with toast points, toasted pita bread wedges, fat-free tortilla chips, bread sticks and cut-up raw vegetables.

For a sweet treat, reach for an apple, a banana or grapes. Or, slice a kiwifruit in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

by CNB