The Busy Woman's Guide to Eating Right

IN A PERFECT WORLD…you eat carbs only if they're made from fiber-rich whole grains to reduce your risk of heart disease.

IN THE REAL WORLD…you're faithful to your morning oatmeal routine but come up short at all your other meals.

A HAPPY MEDIUM: Give your snacks an upgrade. Swap those pretzels for whole-wheat crackers or popcorn and you'll hit your whole-grain target in no time. "The truth is, while most women need five to six servings of grains a day, only half of them have to be unrefined," says Keith Ayoob, R.D., an associate professor of nutrition at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In fact, women who eat just two or three servings of whole grains a day are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack or develop diabetes than those who rarely consume them, according to Harvard research. (One serving equals a slice of bread, 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta, or 3 cups of popcorn.)

When stocking your kitchen with snacks or multigrain breads and pastas, look for a whole grain as the first ingredient.
 

IN A PERFECT WORLD…you have fruits and vegetables at every meal to get the recommended nine servings daily.

IN THE REAL WORLD…long work hours mean produce spoils before you eat it, and the only green thing you consume on a regular basis is the pickle that comes with your deli sandwich.

A HAPPY MEDIUM: Veggify your lunch. Trade your turkey and cheese sandwich for a produce-packed salad with turkey and you can effortlessly squeeze five servings of fruits and vegetables into one meal. "That's the bare minimum you should have in a day," says Walter Willett, M.D., the chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. "Consume less than that over a period of time and you'll likely become deficient in crucial nutrients, like folic acid."
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