RICE AND PASTA

Choose brown rice and whole wheat pasta when possible. They are more nutritious than the white versions and will help you get your whole grain servings for the day.  What do the serving sizes look like for them?  Take a look...

Brown rice is a healthier alternative to white rice since it has more fiber than white rice. This is ½ cup of a brown rice medley. This rice has 80 calories, 2.5g fiber, and 3g protein. Meals made with rice can serve as good meatless alternatives.  Try a stir-fry with rice and veggies or rice and beans.

Pasta is similar to rice in that one serving is ½ cup, cooked.  This is 2oz of dry whole wheat spaghetti, which makes ½ cup cooked.  Unfortunately this is not a large amount, and portions can add up quickly.  If you are eating a pasta dish at a restaurant, try to portion out ½ -1 cup (1-2 servings) and take the rest home for another meal.